


Let's Just Say It's Sitwell's

by pennigirl



Series: Family (or Phil and Clint do everything backwards) [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, F/M, Female Phil Coulson, Flashbacks, Nobody Likes Sitwell, Phil Coulson & Maria Hill Friendship, Pregnant Phil Coulson, Secret Relationship, Shield Office Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-15 17:51:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 24,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13618548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennigirl/pseuds/pennigirl
Summary: Phil Coulson and Maria Hill are not friends. But than, with one conversation, they suddenly are. This is the story of how Maria is there for Phil, Baby Agents learn to respect their elders, there are lots of conversations, and everyone is just mean to Sitwell.Oh, and Phil thinks about sex with Clint.Like, A Lot.





	1. Tuesday

Phil found out on a Tuesday.

There wasn’t anything particularly different about the day. Phil had gotten up, taken a shower, got dressed, checked her fridge, made a face at its general lack of food, driven to work, and started her day at Shield.  Somewhere along the way, she found herself a coffee and some toast, but as usual, she let it get cold and stale, respectively, as she began her day.

She was three hours and 4.5 field report reviews into her day when she opened her bottom drawer to grab a pack of donuts that were stashed there. She rolled her eyes at the foil packets she found underneath. Knowing he’d put them there, probably left over from last time they…

Phil froze.

She stared at the packets in horror.

“Shit,” she whispered, memories flooding her brain in a rush. It was the last time that they’d…

 

_“More,” she whispered, gripping his arm tightly from where it held her hip. His other hand was between her legs, covered in her wet. His teeth grazed her earlobe before he sucked a mark right behind it._

_Phil sighed into a moan that was low and quiet._

_“No screaming today?” he asked, sliding the hand on her hip under her jacket, kneading roughly, her nipples showing stiffly through the thin fabric. “Not like anybody’s around. It’s late after all.” He pulled his fingers out and slid them up to her clit._

_Phil moaned louder and he grinned as he slid closer between her legs, his erection clear under his pants. “You can do better than that,” he chided._

_Phil huffed. “Maybe if you fucked me instead of dicking around.”_

_He laughed. “I thought you liked my hands?” he asked._

_She reached for his pants, pulling the zipper down as he slid his finger back inside her. “I like your cock more,” she said. Pushing his pants down and freeing his erection to rest against her thigh before taking him in a firm grip._

_He groaned and his hand stilled, fingers sliding out and gripping her thigh tight enough to leave marks as she worked him over. “Phil,” he growled, head resting against her shoulder._

_“You want to hear me scream?” she asked huskily, guiding him to the lips of her pussy. “Then fuck me.”_

_He faltered and slowed. “Let me get a-”_

_“Now!” she ordered._

_“Fine,” he growled, gripping her thighs tight and pulling her almost off the desk before sliding into her with one smooth, hard, thrust._

_Phil moaned. “More,” she said, wrapping her legs around his waist to pull him in._

_He grinned. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, hands sliding down to her hips to hold her down as he began thrusting rapidly into her. He set a punishing pace that had her gripping the desk with one hand and his shoulder with the other. Bracing herself against the movement of his hips._

_“Fuck.”_

_“That’s the idea,” he grunted._

_His hands moved to her ass, pulling her closer as she leaned back on her elbows, half laying across the desk, so he could get a better angle. He slid a thumb to her clit and she bit her lip, the moan coming from her throat deep and loud._

_He grinned and continued his thrusts, thumb circling around her clit. He felt thick inside her, filling. She sighed at the feeling, letting herself fall into the sensation. Her mind blank of all thought and her body focused on nothing but his hands moving on her, his hips meeting hers. She arched her back against the wood of her desk, hand knocking over her stapler and making it clatter to the floor with a bang._

_He grinned. “God, I’m going to miss this,” he said, his pace quicker._

_“It’s only two months,” she huffed, breaths getting shorter as he got her close._

_“Doesn’t mean I can’t miss it,” he said. He changed his angle and slammed into her harder._

_She whined at the change. Close, she was so close._

_He slid a hand into her hair, pulling her back up to kiss her roughly, the other still on her clit. “Scream for me,” he said breathlessly, biting into her lips. “Come on.”_

_She moaned before returning the kiss, a hand digging into his neck, nails digging into the skin and making him hiss. “Harder,” she said again, a whine to the pitch in her voice._

_He laughed at the sound. He’d told her once he loved when he got her to that point, and slid almost out of her, slamming hard each thrust back in. Phil moaned again, louder than before this time._

_“That’s it,” he said, almost soothingly, urging her on._

_Her leg twitched, and he knew she was close. He kissed her one last time and the desk was creaking as he gave one last thrust before she sucked in a breath and screamed out a deep moan that had him groaning out his own orgasm and coming inside her._

_They are silent for a while after that, save for the sound of their deep breaths as their hearts slowed._

_Eventually, he leaned down and kissed her hard, like he was afraid she was going to disappear. “Two months without you,” he said. “Tell me again, why you’re not on this op?”_

_“Because Fury said, and I quote, ‘Let someone else handle a mission for once. You can’t complain about the baby agents if you’re not going to be here to put the fear of god in them.’”_

_He laughed and she smiled._

_“You’ll be back before you know it,” she said, brushing some damp hair from his forehead and pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “I promise not to do anything too exciting while you’re gone.”_

Maria found her a few hours later, sitting at her desk, staring at the computer screen.

She took a seat at one of the chairs opposite of the desk and waited a while, watching Phil stare at the computer before taking the file she held and slapping it on the desk in front of her.

Phil jumped and turned to see Maria looking at her curiously. “You okay?” Maria asked.

Phil stared at her in silence for a few moments before saying. “No?” in a confused and drawn out tone.

Maria raised an eyebrow. “Not sure there?”

Phil blinked. “Maybe?” she said, in that same tone.

Maria looked at her with concern. “No, you’re not okay? Or maybe?”

Phil blinked, as if shaking off her confusion. “No, I’m not ok. And maybe I’m not sure about that.”

“Got it,” Maria said. She watched Phil closely, the woman across from her looked impeccably put together in her lavender colored button up and (most likely) pixie suit trousers with three inch heels.

She also looked like a deer in the headlights.

“Want to talk about it?” she asked.

“No,” Phil said definitively. The first solid answer since Maria came into the room.

“Okay,” Maria said, and reached for her folder. She’d worked with Phil long enough. She knew not to push. “In that case, there’s a few recruits whose file I’d like to go o-”

“I fucked Barton.”

Maria closed her file with an audible snap, crossed her legs, and looked at Phil expectantly. “Go on,” she said conversationally, waving an open hand in front of her casually, almost like they were discussing he weather.

“I was having a bad day, overheard something that pissed me off. He was there when I got back. Flirted like he usually does and I…” she was quiet for a moment and said, “Snapped.”

“By fucking him,” Maria said.

“Yes,” Phil said.

Maria was silent for a few moments.

“When?” she asked.

“About eight months ago.”

Maria nodded as she mentally ticked off months in the calendar in her head.

“Has he been difficult afterwards?” she asked. “Been insubordinate at all?”

Phil shook her head. “Absolutely not. He’s professional on ops as always.” She thought for a moment. “Well, professional for him at least.”

Maria nodded. Barton was a good agent, but tended to be mouthy on ops. It’d be annoying if he wasn’t one of the best they had.

“Was it _bad_?” Maria asked.

Phil thought back to that first time, Clint’s head between her thighs while she laid out on the couch with her skirt bunched up around her hips.

“Absolutely not,” Phil replied, a pink tint on her cheeks. _Fucking fantastic, really_ , she thought.

“So what’s the problem?” Maria asked.

Phil sighed and muttered something.

“What was that?” Maria asked.

Phil sighed and spoke louder. “I _said_ I think I need to pee on a stick.”

“Oh,” Maria said, going still in surprise.

“Yeah,” Phil said.

Maria thought about that for a moment, going back to her mental calendar. “Wait, you said that this happened eight months ago. You are so clearly not eight months pregnant.”

Phil sighed. “We may have done it more than once.”

“Okay.”

“A lot, actually.”

“Riiiiiight,” Maria said, drawing the “I” portion of the word out more than necessary. 

The two women sat in silence for a few moments, Maria watching Phil while she stared down at her desk.

“Do you want me to go with you?” Maria asked. 

“Where?” Phil asked.

“To the store,” Maria said, “when you buy the stick.”

Phil looked at her in surprise.  “You’d do that?”

Maria shrugged. “Eh. You held my hair back when I puked in Barcelona, it’s the least I can do.”

Phil smiled softly. “Thanks,” she said gratefully.

 


	2. A Bad Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How the thing with Phil and Clint began.

“So, what pissed you off?” Maria asked as Phil stared at a wall of boxes with bright happy packaging that showed plus signs or digital readouts.

“Hmmmm?” Phil asked. She was holding a box that said it could estimate pregnancy length, which Maria frankly found to be stupid. She had no doubt Phil knew how pregnant she probably was.

“Earlier,” Maria said, “When you said it first happened, you said you were in a bad mood and pissed off. What was it?”

“Oh,” Phil said, understanding on her face now. She threw the box in the basket. “Honestly, looking back now, it’s stupid, and I should have brushed it off.”

“And yet, here we are,” Maria said, grabbing a box with the option to remove the test strips and reuse the main test portion. “So what happened?”

Phil shrugged and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Tomlinson made a crack about me and my looks when he though I wasn’t around.”

Maria tried to recall the name. “Sitwell’s pet project?”

“Yeah,” Phil said.

“What’d he say?” Maria asked.

Phil frowned, remembering that day quite vividly.

_“Ugh,” a male voice said in disgust. “I get that paperwork makes Shield go round, but why do we have Coulson go over the training on it?”_

_Phil stopped mid step where she was in the supply room off the second floor break room. As usual, Clint had stolen her paper clips, and she was out of spares._

_Three shelves over, the voices continued. “What’s wrong with Coulson’s training? According to Sitwell she is queen at paperwork around here._

_The first voice snorted. “She’s also supposedly one of the best handlers here. But if I was in the field I wouldn’t want to have to look at that body or face when getting orders. I don’t know how Barton and Romanoff do it.”_

_“What’s wrong with her face?” the second voice asked. “She looks fine to me.”_

_“That’s because you’re gay,” the first voice said. “As a straight male with a steady libido, let me tell you, fuckable and attractive Coulson is not. I’ve never seen a more bland face and boring body in my life.”_

_“You can’t know what her bodies’ like,” the second voice said. “For all you know she’s a babe underneath. Or, whatever term it is you use to describe gorgeous women these days.”_

_The first voice snorted. “Please! I’ve looked at and fucked plenty of hot women in my life, and plenty of butter faces, Coulson is neither. She’s just…blah. A boring, unattractive drone in an old ladies suit and jacket. And I for one will be glad when her portion of training is over so I can avoid looking at her for three hours every other day and move on to hand to hand with Sitwell. He’s a guy, but at least the women will be better to look at. Also, the stick up her ass is ridiculous. I’d say she needs to get laid, but I doubt anybody would do it.”_

_The door creaked as it opened and the second voice said, “I hear Sitwell brings May into the class, she’s scary as fuck though.”_

_The door slid shut with a click, and Phil waited several minutes before slipping out the supply closet and heading for her office, stopping in the bathroom on the way to look at herself in the mirror._

_She’d ditched her jacket earlier in the day as it had gotten in the way when she’d been on the road. She wore a shoulder holster today, the straps snug and standing out against the grey vest she wore over a delicate, pale pink silk blouse. Her sensible pencil skirt was in a matching grey to the vest, and her pumps a couple inches high. Very smart, easy to run if necessary. Nothing like the monstrosities Natasha trained the female agents to fight in. (Phil could fight in those too, she just preferred to be practical when running all over Shield during the day)._

_Her hair was sensible like her suit. A dark, dirty blonde bordering on brunette, she had it up in a sensible plait that wrapped around her head similar to one of those sci-fi characters she used to love. Her hair was also her vanity. While many agents opted for something short and practical, Phil kept it long, working under the mindset it was easier to keep out of the way that way._

_Her face is, well, simple._

_Out of a conscious desire not to have to deal with its application and removal each day, Phil chooses not to wear make-up. And for the entirety of her career at Shield, it’s worked for her._

_Phil thinks back to what she overheard._

_Boring, he’d said._

_Bland, he’d said._

_She eyed herself in mirror and then huffed out an annoyed sigh at herself before leaving the bathroom._

_She’d heard it before, it was no big deal._

_As far as Fury concerned himself, she did her job, and fuck all on her looks. That’s what they had women like Romanov and Morse for. They were beautiful women, and they were willing to do the work necessary should the job call for it._

_Her phone beeped on the way to her office, the chime signaling that it was a text to her civilian line. She pulled it out and saw a text from a man shed met at the opera few weeks ago. She’d forgotten that bit when she was being self-deprecating in the mirror. She’d actually dated recently._

_He’d been nice, and the few dates they’d had already had gone well, with another scheduled later in the week. Phil had plans for that date and thought viciously. “_ Bland my ass.”

_Phil stopped in the middle of the hall as she read the message in front of her. It was brief but the point was clear. “Have fun”_

_“Wish you the best”_

_“It’s not you it’s me.”_

_Phil shoved her phone back in to her pocket and strode back to her office to dump her file before heading downstairs to the range._

_It was empty when she got there, and she smiled blandly at the agent in weapons storage before saying “Something loud and distracting.”_

_“You got it,” the agent said, and handed over the different rifles and several dozen shells and boxes._

_Phil took the weapons and headed for the far end of the range, taking out her side arms out of their holsters and laying them on the table before going over the guns and organizing their ammo neatly. She heard the range door open, but ignored it to slip her headphones over her ears._

_She pumped the barrel of the shotgun a little more aggressively than required, spread her legs to brace herself, put it to her shoulder, and fired._

_Over the course of the next hour, she steadily worked her way through multiple targets, her anger and frustration ebbing away to the background of her mind. A dull wave of emotion that sunk to her gut while she focused only on shot after shot, clip after clip, shells littering the floor at her feet._

_She was reloading a long barrel rifle when the light in her booth flickered. Rudimentary, but Shield figured it was preferable to getting shot by accident after tapping someone one the shoulder._

_Phil looked over to see Clint Barton in the booth next to her, smiling at her in his usual cheerful manner, his bow and two empty quivers beside him. Phil thought that he must have been practicing next to her for a while, and chided herself for not realizing he was there._

_Phil pulled the headphones off. “Yes?” she asked._

_Clint kicked a few of the empty shells at Phil’s feet. “Do I want to ask?”_

_Phil briefly thought about telling him about Tomlinson’s comments, even about the “Thanks but no thanks” she’d received earlier in the day, but eventually, she shook her head. He was sarcastic, and sometimes difficult, but he was also loyal. Phil knew that if she told him what she’d overheard, that there would have been a discussion between him and Tomlinson that would probably not end well for the younger agent. She appreciated he question, knew that Clint asked it out of genuine concern._

_But Clint was also under her command and while she knew he would maintain their professionalism (or his version of it) if she told him the reason for her anger that day, Phil didn’t want to cross that line._

_Aside from the concern of her work with Clint, Phil knew that the anger was still low in her gut, and was churning into a healthy bit of disappointment as well. Not at what she had been called, but in herself more than anything. Disappointment that she had let these things affect her. She was one of the most respected agents in Shield, she did not let things like comments on her looks and her lack of relationship affect her. Also, she preferred her pity parties to be a party of one, thank you very much._

_“I’m fine, thanks,” Phil lied._

_She stepped out of the booth and pushed a button that would open the grate beneath where she’d stood, the shells disappearing beneath to be recycled. She turned in her weapons and found Barton still watching her from where he’d stood earlier. “Did you need something, agent Barton?” she asked, making her way back to him._

_Clint seemed to be thinking before smiling. “No, Ma’am. I’m good.”_

_Phil nodded and headed back to her office, leaving him alone in the range to grab his bow and a full quiver for some more time on the range._

_In the past, when Phil had been rejected, she usually responded by throwing herself mindlessly into work. The range was a start, but her real distraction was paperwork. Which meant when she got into this mood she turned her usual ruthless efficiency into a single minded drive that gave her the reputation she’d built up over the better part of a decade._

_The window in her office was showing the New York City skyline fully lit up when there was a knock at her door. “Come in!” she called, red pen marking a formatting error on a mission report._

_Clint strode in and set a large coffee in front of her. Phil glanced at her computer to see the time was late, and eyed the coffee warily._

_“Oh, please,” Clint said. “You and I both know you’re going to be here past midnight. So you might as well jut drink it.”_

_Phil put down her pen and reached for the cup. “Thank you,” she said._

_Clint smiled. “Anytime.”_

_Phil sipped from the coffee and sighed appreciatively at its flavor before raising an eyebrow at Clint, who had taken a seat in the chair across her desk. “Please,” she began sarcastically, “Make yourself comfortable.”_

_“I will, thanks,” Clint said, drinking from his own cup of coffee. “I know you said you were fine, but I figured I’d just check in again, see if you want to talk about it? Whatever it is?”_

_“No,”_

_“Okay,” Clint said, and pulled out his phone, tapping open something that looked like a news article. Phil watched him for a minute before asking, “You’re not going to leave?”_

_“Nope,” Clint replied._

_“Why not?”_

_Clint shrugged. “Figured you’d like the company. You look like you’re having a bad day. I know I can’t touch half the paper work on your desk, but I can at least keep you company so you’re not here past midnight by yourself.”_

_“Why would you do that?” Phil asked. “Surely you have somewhere else to be?”_

_Clint shrugged. “You looked like you’ve been having a bad day. If you don’t want to talk about it, fine. But I’ve found out the hard way that I probably shouldn’t be left alone when I’m having a bad day of my own. And since you’re more of a workaholic than me, I figured the same principle should apply.” He idly played with his phone that was in his hand, and let his eyes wander around the office as he said softly, “Just so you know, if you had wanted to talk about it, you know I wouldn’t tell anyone. Your business is yours alone. And I’d be listening as a friend. If you think we are friends, that is. Because I do.”_

_Phil stared in silence for a few moments before saying. “Thanks.”_

_“No problem,” Clint replied, eyed still glued to his phone. “I also know how dangerous you are, and I like my organs where they are, thanks.”_

_He returned to sipping his coffee and Phil to her paperwork. A couple of hours later, he had moved on to what her surreptitious glances took to be a novel of some sort and Phil had gotten through another four mission reports._

_She heard a rustle and looked to see he had moved to sit on the couch, and from the look of his comfort, had been there for a while. As if he’d sensed her gaze, he looked up at her and smiled briefly before returning to his phone._

_A thought worked its way into her brain, an idea. And before she could think about it too much (because she might talk herself out of it if she did) she put down her pen, stood up from her desk, and walked over to him silently, her shoes forgotten underneath her desk._

_He looked up when he saw her standing in front of him. “Done for the day?” he asked._

_Phil took a deep breath, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, leaned down, and kissed him._

_Clint made a noise of surprise, but his lips stayed still and closed. After a few moments of no response, Phil began to pull back, embarrassment creeping up her cheeks. Of course he wouldn’t respond, she’d been foolish to follow through on this impulse._

_Then, from deep in Clint’s throat he made a growl, grabbing Phil by the neck and slanting his head to the side to get a better angle, slipping his tongue between her lips._

_Phil made a noise of want in her throat, and Clint responded by moving his hands to her hips, pulling her forward to rest on his lap, her legs on either side. Phil hadn’t gasped at that, but did when Clint’s hands began sliding up her thighs to push her skirt up, hands grabbing on her thighs to straddle her more closely against him._

_Clint groaned as his hands found the garters that had been hidden under her skirt, fingers sliding under the straps to get at her skin. His hands were large, palms spread wide on her thighs, his thumbs close to where her legs met her hips and the apex between her legs. He leaned in, and Phil met him halfway, hands pulling at his hair as she kissed him roughly. Clint tightened his grip and Phil moved against him, letting out a small moan. She pulled back to catch a quick breath and say, “Fuck me,”_

_Clint’s pupils went wide at her words and she felt him move underneath her, but hold off to say, “I feel like I should ask why,” he said._

_Phil ground her hips against him, feeling the erection that had already started. “Because I want you to,” she said into his ear, breath hot on his skin. “Isn’t that enough?”_

_She reached a hand down between them and gripped him firmly. Clint moaned and she smiled before leaning in to kiss him filthily, licking into his mouth and moaning as he slid a hand further up her skirt to grab her ass._

_Phil pulled back her hand and rolled her hips again._

_Clint huffed out a breath and she could see the resolve slip from his grasp. “Fuck it,” he said, and in one smooth motion, stood up enough to flip Phil on her back on couch. He pushed her skirt up further and slid a hand between her legs and over the fabric there, hissing at the wetness he felt._

_She raised her hips up into the touch but he pushed her down instead. “This first,” he said, reaching his hands down to her thighs to snap off the clips holding each stocking up. Once the elastic had sprung free he reached under the belt for her underwear and slid them down her legs, careful to leave her stockings in place as he did. When they were past her feet he tossed them over his shoulder and gripped her thighs, dragging her lower on the couch. He spread his palms out and opened her legs wide._

_“God Damn,” he breathed, seeing the neatly trimmed patch of hair that rested above the lips to her pussy. He traced her lips with a finger, feeling the wetness creeping out before giving her a wink and deftly sliding in two well calloused fingers._

_Phil sucked in a breath, biting into her lip as she moaned, Clint grinned and reached as far in as he could, twisting his fingers in a move that made Phil’s hips jump from the sensation. “Fuck,” she said._

_Clint grinned and pumped his fingers in and out a couple of times, Phil closing her eyes in ecstasy, before sliding them out, making Phil whine at the loss of his touch._

_“Don’t worry,” he said, “I’m not done.” and Phil opened her eyes to see him sucking on his fingers. He hummed in appreciation when he caught her watching him. “You taste great,” he said, and leaned to bury his face between her legs. “I think I’ll have more”_

_Phil rolled her eyes at his cheesiness and replaced her retort with a moan as he spread her lips again and slid his tongue inside her._

_“Oh god,” she breathed, hand gripping the arm of the couch above her tightly, the other fisting in his hair. She could feel Clint grinning before he continued with is tongue, adding in his fingers when he moved his attention to her clit._

_Phil found herself moaning wantonly the entire time he was there, the words “Fuck” and “More” being spoken whenever he’d touch her in a way that made her nerves sing._

_He had just taken her clit in his teeth for a quick nip when her leg twitched._

_“Again,” she said, voice tight._

_Clint bit again, a little harder, and gave a hard suck, making Phil twitch and moan again. This time, Clint caught the tell, and before Phil could catch a breath, he slid his fingers in a little further and pressed a thumb to the bottom of her clit before giving it a long, hard suck._

_Phil came._

_Later, she would be thank whatever god there was that her floor was probably empty as her scream could probably be heard clear to the other side of the building._

_Phil collapsed boneless back into the couch, her chest heaving with each breath. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she realized she was still mostly clothed, and thought that her vest and blouse were feeling a little tight. And she still wore her holster as well. Absently, she raised a hand to unclip a leather strap, but Clint slapped her hand away._

_“Nope,” he said. Gripping her hand tight and keeping a tight hold on it as he pulled her into a sitting position. A piece of loose hair fell across her face and she blew it out the way as Clint smiled at her and leaned in for a kiss that tasted of her._

_Phil hummed into the kiss, and grinned to feel a foil packet be pressed into her palm. “Still game if you are,” Clint said._

_Phil responded by reaching for Clint’s belt and fly, sliding the zipper down and opening his pants to reach for his erection through his briefs. “Damn,” she said, pushing his pants down with her free hand and pulling him free._

_He was groaning at her touch when she released him to take the foil packet in both hands and deftly ripped it open. Taking the latex, she gave his cock one last squeeze before quickly sliding it on._

_When she was done, Clint reached for her and pulled her back into his lap like before, a leg on either side of him. He ran his hands up her thighs, appreciating their feel. “Not gonna lie, I'm going to be picturing you in these things the next time I jerk off. “_

_Phil rolled her eyes, but could feel a blush starting too. “Sure you will,” she said. “You’ll probably switch it to Romanoff at some point after.”_

_Clint shook his head and pulled her closer so that his erection pressed at her entrance. “Nope,” he said. “Just you.” Then, without any further warning, he thrust into her with tight pull on her hips, making her gasp in surprise, eyes wide. “Just like this,” he said, moving her hips back so he could pull her back onto him. He leaned forward to kiss her, sliding his hands up to the holster she wore and gripped the straps tightly, holding her in place and keeping her on him as he moved up into her._

_Phil groaned and began to move her hips with him, letting him use the holster to hold her down on him as she moved._

_“Fuck, you feel so good,” Clint moaned during a particularly hard thrust._

_Phil shuddered, resting her hands on his shoulders to brace herself and have something to push against as she let him fuck into her. “I'm not even naked,” she breathed out in response to him._

_“Doesn’t matter,” Clint said, his thrusts getting erratic. “I like you like this way.” He let go of the straps and reached for her breasts for what she realized was the first time._

_“Boring?” Phil asked, Tomlinson’s words flashing in her mind._

_Clint shook his head, one hand kneading her breast and the other reaching to pull her close to him. “Confident,” he said, into her ear as she moaned from one of his thrusts.  “Put together. Still scary as shit even though I know you’re about to fall apart all over me.”_

_“What makes you think I'm even close?” she asked breathlessly._

_Clint grinned and flipped her on her back like before, but managed to stay inside her, hooking an elbow behind her knee and pulling her leg back further as he continued to thrust into her at a new angle._

_Phil moaned and wrapped a hand around his neck, pushing him in close for a kiss. As she did he let of her leg and slipped a hand between them._

_“You’re close,” he said between kisses._

_“Liar,” she said, ignoring the twitch in her leg._

_Clint laughed and began circling his thumb over her clit as he kept thrusting into her._

_“Oh!” Phil exclaimed and then chanted, “Oh! Oh! Oh!”_

_Clint smiled and she was throwing him a glare for his smug look when the pressure broke._

_She didn’t scream but there was a definite, high pitched keening sound that came from her throat as Clint thrust into her one last time and let out an audible grunt before resting his head on her chest while she caught her breath._

_They stayed that way for a few moments letting their bodies come down from the high of orgasm, their breaths the only noise they made._

_Eventually, Phil felt Clint begin to move off of her and slide out slowly, fingers holding the condom in place as he did so before taking it off and tying it in a knot. “Cleaning staff?” he asked._

_Phil understood the unspoken question. “They’re discreet,” she replied._

_Clint nodded and tossed the condom in the trash, making the basket on the first try of course._

_Phil watched him from her place on the couch, legs still wide, hair loose and mussed, and skirt most likely in need of being cleaned…or burned._

_“Feeling better?” Clint asked._

_Phil thought about and nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”_

_He nodded and stood, tucking himself into his pants before going looking for her underwear._

_She was in the process of straightening her skirt when he held them out to her. She nodded her thanks and shrugged before sticking them in her pocket._

_“Nice,” Clint said._

_Phil rolled her eyes, but Clint sill gave her a grin._

Maria fanned herself with a brochure for ovulation sticks. “I think I came just by listening to that story.”

Phil glared. “This isn’t funny.”

Maria kept fanning. “Of course it is,” she said. “Well, it can be if you let it.”

Phil continued glaring.

Maria dropped the brochure and shrugged. “You’re both consenting adults who fucked each other’s brains out on what was supposed to be a one-time deal, but I’m guessing you turned into a quasi, exclusinve, fuck buddy-esque type of situation. And all because you let it get to you that some little shit of a probie agent called you ugly behind your back and you got dumped.”

Phil opened her mouth to interject.

“In the same day,” Maria added. “And now, you’re here with me in a drug store picking out pregnancy tests while said quasi fuck-buddy is on month three of what should have been a two month mission. What have I missed?”

“That’s pretty much it,” Phil said.

“Good,” Maria replied. She kicked the basket across the floor against the shelf and started grabbing one of every test before throwing it in. “Also, these things are way too complicated to figure out here. So we’re just buying all of them.”

“Okay,” Phil said.

“Also,” Maria said, reaching down to grab the basket and hefting it in the crook of her elbow. “I am making you take them in front of me so you don’t chicken out.”

Phil rolled her eyes. “I am not chickening out.”

“Yet,” Maria said. “But that’s okay. I’ll be there when you do.”

“Because we work together?” Phil asked.

Maria snorted. “Because we’re friends, duh. Or, we are now, at least.”

She took Phil’s arm and dragged her to the register. As the clerk rang them up, she eyed Maria in her leather jacket and Phil in her no nonsense suit and said, “You ladies having a party?”

Maria walked away and Phil grimaced as the register counted the fifteenth test. “Not really,” she began. There was a thunk on the counter as Maria put down a bottle of wine.

“Now we are,” Maria said.

The clerk reached for the bottle and Maria shrugged as she pulled out her phone to check messages. “Either you’re pregnant, and I slam whine while you cry on the floor of your bathroom, or you’re not pregnant and we split this bottle together. Either way, at some point, there will be booze, and possibly food. Because I don’t want to show up to work completely hammered.”

“Three hundred forty two and fifty three cents,” the clerk said.

Maria slapped her card on the counter, waving off Phil’s attempt to pay. “Friends, remember?”

Phil shrugged and the clerk ran the card.

An hour later, forty different tests were lined up on her bathroom counter, toilet, and tub.

“Well, shit,” Phil said.

“You know,” Maria said. “I never realized there were so many different ways to say the word ‘positive’.”

Phil’s face paled, and behind her there was a slight ‘pop’ as Maria pulled out the cork and brought the bottle straight to her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mention this last chapter, but this story is un-beta'd. So any mistakes are mine. The next chapter should be more conversation heavy. Also, all those types of pregnancy tests mentioned are real things I have either seen in a pharmacy aisle or on a TV commercial.


	3. Tough Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unofficial, and official, discussions are had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up this is a conversation heavy chapter with the possibility of abortion being discussed in the second half. If that is not your cup of tea, than you can stop reading after the part with Fury.
> 
> Also, no sexy flashbacks this time. It will be a couple more chapters before they reappear again.

“We should tell everyone its Sitwell’s,” Maria said, fingers tapping rapidly on her phone. “Just to fuck with him.”

Phil rolled her eyes as the numbers on the elevator continued to increase on their way to the floor with Fury’s office. “That’s mean,” Phil said. “He’s not even here to defend himself.”

Maria grinned. “First of all, that’s why it’s funny. Second of all, he’s a dick and he deserves it.”

Phil shook her head. “Just because you had one bad date-”

“No,” Maria interrupted abruptly. “It was a god awful date. And I will spend as much time giving him shit about it as I want to.”

Phil rolled her eyes as the elevator dinged their arrival. “I don’t even know why you went out with him in the first place.”

Mara shrugged. “I was going through a dry spell. I was desperate.”

“That’s what Craigslist is for.”

Maria made a face as they arrived at Fury’s office, his assistant waving them on in. “Ew,” she said, “Gross.”

Maria was saved from Phil’s response as Fury drawled, “Oh, good. It’s both of you. Should I even ask what the damage is, or just get finance started on cutting the insurance checks now?”

Phil fought a sigh. “Nice to see you too, Nick. Yes, it’s a lovely day, isn’t it?”

Fury snorted. “Oh, good, you’re deflecting. This will go well.” He looked over to Maria. “Should I ask why you’re here?”

Maria shrugged and continued tapping on her phone, ignoring him.

Fury looked at her suspiciously and then turned to Phil. “Since you’re the only one speaking, I’m assuming this is a mainly ‘you’ meeting. What’s going on? You get banned from Portugal again?”

Maria snorted, but continued tapping.

Phil glared. “Thank you for that, Nick. That was something I hadn’t told Hill about from that mission.”

Fury shrugged. “Always glad to help.” He leaned back in his chair. “All joking aside Phil, what’s going on?  You don’t call meetings like this ever. Hell, when R&D blew up half a training campus you barely made a phone call.”

Phil adjusted in her seat and Maria set down her phone as she took a deep breath.

“This is a preliminary meeting,” Phil said. “I wanted to advise you of my planned appointment at medical tomorrow. They will be running a test to confirm and put my current status on file. Once that’s complete, a readjustment of my responsibilities will need to be discussed.”

Fury straightened. “Define ‘change of medical status.’”

She looked him in the eyes. This was Nick, whom she had worked with for years. They’d fought in the army together. When he’d left for Shield, he’d dragged her right along with him. She sat a little straighter and said, “I’m pregnant.”

He blinked.

“Come again?”

“I said,” Phil began, “That I’m pregnant. About, three months, give or take a couple of weeks.”

He eyed her for a few moments and said. “When did you find out?”

“Yesterday,” Phil said. “I took a test after work.”

Fury nodded. He glanced over to Maria and said, “Why are you here?”

“Moral support?” Maria said.

“Uh-huh,” Fury said.

“Also, to make sure she didn’t back out of this.”

Fury nodded and Hill handed over a tablet she’d had resting in her lap. “We’ve already done a preemptive review of Phil’s work and upcoming missions. Based on current intel and schedules of active missions, we should be able to adequately split up and redistribute the handler work requiring active field duty to those level five and above. Anything higher will have to go to me and Sitwell, provided he returns from his current mission on time, of course.”

“What may be difficult,” Fury said, swiping through the tablet. “As his current op just got extended an additional two months.”

Phil frowned. “Yesterday’s intel put it at just one.”

“That’s because it was. But shortly before you got here I received word they needed two more on top of that.” He threw the tablet down on the desk and eyed Phil, who was trying very hard to school her expression into nonchalance. “Current return date is set for April.”

Phil nodded as Maria said, “We’ll reevaluate, than. I’ll see who we can squeeze a clearance for.”

Fury nodded, still looking at Phil. “Give Hand a try,” he said. “She’s showing herself to not be completely inept.”

Maria nodded. “Understood, sir.”

He leaned back in his chair and looked at Phil like she suspected she had looked at him earlier. He was looking at her as Nick, her friend, not Fury, her boss.

“Obviously, the official discussion on reassignments can’t happen until medical puts things on file. So we’ll save most of it for after tomorrow. You are not required to tell me anything, but can I ask whose it is?”

“You can,” Phil said.

“Will you answer if I do?”

“Not unless I can avoid it,” Phil said. “I’d like to tell him first, see how he wants to play it out here. I just haven’t gotten the chance to, yet.”

“So he’s Shield?” Nick asked.

“Yes, sir,” Phil answered.

Fury nodded, as if she’d confirmed a suspicion of his. Finally, he sighed. “You’re one of my oldest friends, Phil. Stood by me and pulled my ass out of that thing in Bogota and countless other cluster fuck ops. I’ve asked you for loyalty and you’ve given it willingly and without question.”

Phil raised an eyebrow.

“Mostly,” Fury added. “So it’s the least I could do, at this point, to work with you on this.” He looked at Maria. “Your schedule looks good. Do whatever restructuring you need to, to account for Sitwell’s op. And if that means someone needs to get promoted get me the paperwork.”

Hill nodded. “Understood.”

He looked back to Phil. “Get medical to put you on file. How you want to handle this around the organization it up to you. If that means keeping it quiet until you can’t, or puking in the middle of a staff meeting I’m all for it. I’ll want status reports on your ops to include anything of significance, and I also want updates from anything medical tells you that I need to know. I’ll also need you to meet with me and Hill a minimum of one month before your due date to go over work and how it will be handled once you go on leave.”

Phil nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Anything else we need to go over?” he asked.

“No, sir,” Phil responded. “Not until tomorrow.”

Fury nodded. “Alright than, tomorrow it is.”

Phil and Maria stood to leave and Maria grabbed the tablet off Fury’s desk. Just as Phil’s hand reached for the knob, Fury said, “Coulson.”

Phil turned, Maria stepping out of the way with her phone back in her hands. “Yes?”

“For what it’s worth,” he said, voice softer now, kinder. “I’m sorry the mission got extended. If I could pull him off, or at least get you a line to him, I would.”

Phil smiled softly. “Thank you, sir,” she replied, and pulled the door open to escape.

 

 

“Part of me wants to know how he knows who you had sex with, but than that means possibly asking how many other people’s sex lives he knows about. And I don’t think I’m ready for that kind of dirt,” Maria said. “Finding out about you was shocking enough.”

Phil rolled her eyes from her seat on the medical table. She had told Maria she hadn’t needed to come, and she had just scoffed and said asked, “And miss out on the chance to deflect suspicions and declare myself your lesbian lover just to fuck with everybody?”

That was the thing about Maria, no one knew she was secretly a little shit.

Three hours after that conversation they were in the small consultation room waiting for the doctor to come back with Phil’s blood test results. As usual Maria had been on her phone, but did provide commentary on the situation as they waited.

Phil was staring ahead at a poster detailing the Shield requirements for post mission op care when Maria asked, “If he could get him on the phone, would you tell him?”

Phil sighed. She'd thought about that, after what Fury had said yesterday. She shook her head. “No. I-” She took a deep breath. “I think I want to tell him in person. We never talked about it much, but he’s got a bad history, family wise. And I think he’d want to find out in person. Not while he’s out on an op, surrounded by coworkers, half of whom he wouldn’t interact with unless he had to. “

Maria nodded her understanding. “So you’re going to wait than? Until he gets back?”

Phil nodded. “I think so. The missions level seven radio silence. No communique in or out unless it’s for the evac. As much as I don’t like the possibility of this getting back to him before I can tell him, I also know the chances are slim.”

Maria nodded and was saved from her response by a knock at the door.

“Well, hello Agent,” the doctor greeted. “Sorry to keep you waiting!” She had a clip board in her hand and began typing information into a nearby computer before sitting down. Phil fidgeted while she watched, but after a few moments the doctor said, “Well, agent Coulson, it’s pretty much as you’re expecting no doubt. Per Shield protocol we’ve run your blood test three times and confirmed you are most definitely pregnant.”

“You run a blood test three times?” Maria asked, surprised.

Phil threw her a look and Maria held her hands up defensively. “What?”

The doctor laughed softly. “It’s okay, we get that a lot.  It’s actually a standard requirement on all blood tests.  We take three different samples and run the test on each one to show the results are across the board on all samples and that nothing was compromised. We also make sure to take the samples from different points on the body to make sure no agents are trying funny stuff and stashing a false sample somewhere they shouldn’t be. It’s rare, but it happens.”

“Understandable,” Phil said.

The doctor smiled at her easy acceptance and moved her computer monitor over as she said, “Most senior agents usually do. Then again, you don’t hit level six or higher by stashing clean pee or blood on your person.” She brought up a screen and said, “Now, there are a few things I'll need to go over with you today. Some of them are Shield protocol and required, and some are part of standard medical care.”

“Okay,” Phil replied.

The doctor smiled again and flicked her gaze to Maria. “And I'm assuming you are okay with Agent Hill staying in the room?”

Phil nodded.

“Let’s get started than.” The doctor opened a window and said, “First question is: to the best of your knowledge, is this pregnancy the possible result of Shield mission related activities?” she said “activities” in air quotes.

Phil shook her head. “No.”

The doctor clicked a button on the screen. “Is this pregnancy the possible result of failed birth control caused by Shield R&D?”

“Huh?” Maria asked.

The doctor flapped a hand above her, and Phil remembered that the labs were four floors up. “You know, stray electrons, gamma radiation, anti-viral testing, antibiotics being required after bio organics being released into the air?”

“Uh, no,” Phil replied.

The doctor nodded and clicked another box. “Is this pregnancy caused by a liaison with another Shield agent?”

Phil froze.

The doctor saw her hesitation and said, “This question is required due to making sure no agents were coerced into a sexual relationship by a superior, or any other agent for that matter, as part of leverage in duties.”

Phil’s mind went back to a conversation she’d had with Clint after everything had started. “Yes, she replied.  “But it was a consensual…” she stalled before saying, “Relationship.”

The doctor nodded.  “Do you wish to document the identity of said Shield agent for medical proxy purposes?”

“No,” Phil said. “I still need to discuss this with him. He’s on an op at the moment.”

The doctor nodded and clicked another button, not pushing any further.  Phil thanked God for professionalism. “I do have one last Shield required question to ask you before we move on to the more strictly medical questions. She turned away from the monitor and looked at Phil kindly before asking, “At this time, agent Coulson, do you wish to terminate this pregnancy, or are you considering the idea of terminating the pregnancy? Keep in mind all your medical care, no matter what your decision is, will be covered by Shield medical.”

Phil was silent for a few moments. Thoughts raced through her head a mile a minute before she said, “I…I really hadn’t thought about it.” She looked to Maria, who had no expression, letting her think things through herself, and back to the doctor. “I haven’t been asked that question yet. Honestly, the thought hasn’t even entered my mind.”

The doctor nodded. “And that’s okay. I’ve heard several patients give a similar response due to the nature of Shield work and lifestyle. It’s become standard practice to ask that question. Not all agents, especially active duty field agents, find themselves wanting, or being able to care for, a child. Shield is…well, it’s Shield. And we want to make sure our agents know they have options. We don’t push either way, we simply make sure that they know we’re here for their medical care no matter what.”

Phil nodded mutely and Maria nudged her with a foot. She looked over to the brunette who looked her in the eye with a reassuring look on her face before asking “Do you want the baby? We’ve acted this whole time like you’re keeping it, and haven’t really discussed any other options.”

Phil could only think to shrug. “I think so? Maybe? I'm already three months in, he won’t be back for at least another three. It’s stupid, but I guess I was hoping we’d decide together. “

Hill smiled at that, reaching forward to pat Phil’s knee. “Of course you do. You did this together, it’s only right to decide together.” She looked to the doctor and asked, “If she chooses to continue the pregnancy for now, how long does she have to…”

“Change her mind?” the doctor asked.

Hill nodded.

“Standard policy is twenty weeks. Once that time has passed, we will only move forward it is considered medically necessary due to quality of life for either the mother or child.”

Phil did not voice the thought going through her mind that she’d be six months along or later by the time he was currently expected to be back.

Maria, however, seemed to have been reading her thoughts. “And if after twenty weeks she decides not to keep the child?”

“Shield has an attorney on call who can help you navigate options for adoption. Not all agents decide on termination, but not all desire to keep the child either. In fact, I referred someone to the attorney just last month. She apparently has enemies in the land of cartels, and she was concerned the child could never be safe.”

Maria nodded, and Phil released a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. “Is this the shittiest part of the appointment?” Phil asked.

The doctor smiled. “Always.” She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs. “It’s a terrible topic, and we, I, acknowledge that.  If you had answered yes to the first two questions, we don’t even ask the third. Termination is offered immediately. It’s extremely rare, but it does occur.”

“The grim reality of being a female Shield agent,” Maria muttered.

Phil sighed, but nodded in agreement.

All three women were silent for a few moments before the doctor said, “Would you like me to move on to the medical question portion of the appointment or do you want to hold off and make another one? The test is enough to put your status on file at this time.”

Phil shook her head. “No. Let’s just go ahead and get this done today. I have meetings and trainings scheduled the next few days.”

The doctor nodded. “Today will be questions only,” she said. “The ultrasound will need to be scheduled for a later date. I prefer not to do them so early in the pregnancy. I like to take a look once more developments been done.”

Phil nodded and the doctor went back to her monitor.

“Do you have any history of the following medical conditions…”

 


	4. Clause Forty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rumors make Shield go round, and Phil goes public.

_“Barf,” Clint said as she handed him a duty assignment to assist with training. “If you wanted to torture me, you could’ve just shot me again.”_

_Phil smirked.  “I prefer save that for special occasions.”_

_“So you’re saying I'm special?” Clint said with a wink._

_Phil laughed, letting her guard down as the archer took the class roster she handed him._

“I heard a rumor this morning,” Maria said in a sing song tone. 

“You hear lots of rumors, “ Phil replied, jolted out of her memory to keep typing at her desk top as Maria settled across from her. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was part of your official job description.”

Maria smiled from behind her cup of coffee and took a sip. “But this is a good one,” she said. “It’s about you.”

“Oh goody,” Phil said, “my favorite kind.” She continued typing out her report and Maria asked, “Want to know what it is?”

“Not particularly,” Phil said.  “They’re all usually the same. Mostly things involving me giving a sexual favor or act of some kind to get the good ops.”

“You mean it wasn’t just me?” Maria asked in mock surprise.

Phil smirked. “So what’s the rumor?” She asked. “Since you seem so eager to tell me.”

“Fury wants you out and you’re not hacking it as one of our top field handlers anymore. Which is also why you’re off all the of the field ops. Scuttle butt gives you two months tops.”

Phil snorted. “Anyone in particular saying this? Or is it just general crowd noise for now?”

Maria shrugged and flapped a hand back and forth in an “eh” gesture. “Little bit of both. You’ve never really ever _not_ been in the field, so it’s catching some attention. Although, from what I hear, it’s a particular group of newbies that’s are being especially sassy about it.”

“Lovely,” Phil said. She finally looked away from her screen to the other woman.  “Gotta say I'm surprised, though. I’ve already been off the ops officially for six weeks past originally scheduled, I thought for sure they’d have caught on sooner.”

Maria shrugged. “Our keenest observers are all out on ops, plus, they were trained by Sitwell, for Christ’s sake. What do you expect?”

Phil rolled her eyes. “As much as I hate to say it, I have to agree with you. His current group of protégé are leaving much to be desired at the moment.”

“So what do you want to do about it?” Maria asked. “I'm usually all for letting rumors fester and blow up in someone's face, but considering training is your responsibility for the time being, I’m asking. Especially since we know newbies tend to rely on the most recent classes for guidance.”

Phil sighed and rubbed her forehead. “I was hoping to I could hold off a bit longer on this,” she said.

Maria smirked.  “You’re kidding, right? We work in a goddamn spy agency!”

Phil sighed and fell forward to rest her head on her elbows. “I miss coffee,” she moaned. “This would be easier with coffee.”

“Yeah, well, I miss orgasms that don’t involve batteries,” Maria replied. “You don’t see me crying about it.”

Phil adjusted her hand so she could flip Maria off.

Maria snorted. “That’s Barton’s job. Well, for you, anyways. Now, going back to the matter at hand. How do you want to handle this?”

Phil shrugged without moving her head. “I can probably send a memo?”

“Nick did also say you could puke on someone.”

Phil sat up. “Tempting,” she replied, “but no.  Plus I stopped puking last week.” She thought for a moment and said, “Mostly.”

“Killjoy,” Maria replied. “Well, you have to do _something_. It keeps going the way it is, it’ll take years to beat this attitude out of them.”

Phil sighed. “You’re probably right,” she said. “I honestly was hoping to keep it to myself for at least another few weeks.”

“Please,” Maria scoffed, giving her a disbelieving look.  “You’ve switched from your ‘show off my ass pants’ to your comfortable pants, meaning you’re either trying to hide weight gain, or you got shot in the hip again.”

“Caught that did you?” Phil asked.

“Please, Phil,” Maria said. “I am a highly trained operative in one if the nation’s most sought after spy agencies. People leave three initialed agencies to come to _us_ , and you honestly thought I wouldn’t notice you were hiding some weight gain?”

Phil watched her closely for a few moments and pursed her lips in suspicion before she said, “Didn’t you hang out with Melinda yesterday?”

Maria threw up her free hand in exasperation. “The woman has eyes like a damn eagle! I swear she is more observant than Barton!”

Phil laughed.

“Seriously though,” Maria said after letting Phil continue her laughter for some time. “All joking aside. How we doing this?”

 

“Romanoff,” Melinda May’s soft voice said from Maria’s left side. “Didn’t know you were back.”

“I just got in,” Natasha replied, taking a seat on Maria’s right. “I was on my way to medical when I heard there was a demonstration. Dare I ask who the culprits are?”

Maria didn’t even glance up. “Have you met Agent Tomlinson yet?”

She could _feel_ Natasha arch an eyebrow. “What’s the gossip?” she asked.

“Fury wants Phil out of a job,” May replied. “Thinks Phil is ‘unfit for duty’, especially since she’s been taken off field ops for the foreseeable future.”

Natasha snorted. “Sure, and I never went on the Beirut missions. What’s the real reason?” she asked leaning back on the bleacher behind her as other seasoned agents slowly began to filter in.

Agents who knew what a ‘demonstration’ meant.

“Not sure,” May replied. “She has, however, switched to some…looser pants recently. And I noticed she refused coffee the other day.”

“Clause Forty-Three?” Natasha asked.

May shrugged. “We’ll find out, I guess.”

“No way docs would allow this, than,” Natasha said. “Not if it’s true.”

May smirked. “This is Phil ‘I will never tell you my real first name and will stab the next person who asks’ Coulson that we’re talking about here, remember?”

Natasha made a ‘hmm’ noise. She watched as junior agents from a current training group and the two previous training groups from before filtered in, but did not take any seats like the other, more seasoned agents in the room. Some of the new agents looked confused, others looked nervous, and a handful looked cocky as they watched the others around them.  Natasha smirked. Suckers. “We putting money on it?” she asked casually.

May shrugged.  “Ten?”

Natasha nodded her agreement.

“I say no on clause forty three,” Natasha said.  “Tomlinson is a shit who needs to be put in his place, but Phil's been out of the field before for other reasons than that. “

May smirked. “Agreed on Tomlinson.  But I'll say yes on clause forty three.  She hasn't been in the field for months. Those previous instances were only a few weeks at times. This started when Fury wanted her assisting on training when Sitwell left on that op, but that request ended six weeks ago. Why hasn’t she gone back in?”

“Maybe she wanted a break?” Natasha sked.

“Maybe she’s on orders?” May asked.

“Are we gossiping about Coulson?” a new voice asked.

All three women looked up to see newly minted handler, Victoria Hand standing next to them, a stack of reports and a tablet in her arms. “Depends,” Natasha said, “you got anything good?”

Hand shrugged and sat with them. “Not really. I’ve only started working with her on my transition a few weeks ago. I noticed a change in her clothes, but nothing too obvious. I figured she was staying close to base to catch up on other op prep. Isn’t there something about Monaco coming up?”

“Who told you about Monaco?” Maria asked in a suspicious tone.

Hand shrugged. “Someone in procurement. They’re _really_ gossipy down there.”

May snorted and Natasha asked “So what’s your take?” she made it sound like gossip, but Maria suspected it was a test about the new handler towards the more senior Coulson down below.

Hand shrugged. “Too many variables. I mean, what if she got an injury and needs to hide it? Or maybe there’s a threat that needs to be dealt with before she goes back out again? I’m not read in yet, so I'd rather see what happens today instead.”

“So no bet?” May asked.

Hand shook her head. “No bet.”

“Maria?” Natasha sked.

Maria switched her tablet off and put it to the side so she could look ahead and below to the training floor. “No bet.”

“You know something we don’t?” Natasha asked.

“Always,” Maria said with a smirk. “Oh look, medical’s here.”

“Should we have popcorn?” Hand asked as she took a seat next to Natasha. “I feel like we should have popcorn.”

“Or score cards,” Natasha responded.

“I hope she kicks Tomlinson ass,” Hand said viciously.  “He’s a little shit.”

All three women turned to look at Hand appreciatively, and Maria reached across Natasha to offer a fist that the woman bumped her own against happily before sitting back to watch.

 

Phil took a deep breath as she stood before thirty two some odd agents (“babies” Maria called them) before her. In the bleachers behind her, senior agents had filed in and were grouping together in clumps that whispered together. She heard dollar amounts floating around and whispers on what this was about.

_Betting pools_ , she thought grimly. _And here I am about to unleash a free for all on them_.

“Good morning, everyone,” Phil said, halting any talk from the agents in front of her. “As many of you know, but in case you don’t, my name is Phil Coulson; I’m a level seven agent here at Shield. For those of you just beginning with us, I’m what’s commonly known as a field and special ops handler. Agent Gustafson, please clarify for the group.”

Gustafson looked surprised to be called on, but he coughed and answered anyways. “Um, it means you handle field operation for high priority and risky ops. Usually classified level five or higher.”

“And why do those levels matter?” Phil asked.

Gustafson stalled so Phil said, “You!” and pointed to a blonde agent from the newer class. She knew the girls name, but also knew she wanted it quiet.

“In case a level five or higher assignment gets put at a higher class mid op, its best to put an already higher level agent in position of handler so nobody has to worry about someone’s paygrade and clearance level and can focus on the mission at hand.”

“Correct,” Phil said. There was a small cough and Phil heard the words ‘kiss ass.’

She ignored it, and made a mental note to get their name later.

“All of you,” Phil said, pacing in front of the group, gesturing to them as she talked, “are currently set to be what’s known as ‘field agents’. Which means that when you’re done with your training and sent into the field, agents like myself, Sitwell, Hill, Hand, or others, will be overseeing you. Can someone tell me what the general responsibilities of a field handler are?”

No one spoke. Phil frowned. “Anyone who started more than a day ago should know this answer.” She glared and crossed her arms. “Which means all of you should know this.”

A throat cleared. The blonde agent again. “Uh, a field handler organizes an op from start to finish. Meaning he, or she, takes the intel, assesses the required staff needed, plans and executes the op. If needed, they also join in when it goes fubar.”

“And how often does an op go fubar?” Phil asked.

“Shield regulations state that agents need to be prepared for a fifty-fifty chance an op will go fubar.”

Phil nodded in acknowledgment of her correct answer and assessed the room. “Some of you,” she said, returning to her pacing, looking at as many people in the eye as she could. “Will one day decide you don’t want to just be field agents anymore. You may want to move out of the field, or better yet, you’ll want to help run it. You’ll need to be meticulous, focused, and prepared for anything. You’ll also,” Phil said, stopping to stand facing them with a serious look on her face, “need to be prepared to jump in and handle yourself in a fight. Today, as part of this understanding, you will be receiving a demonstration of some of the skills required.”

Phil noticed the blonde agent and several others began to look nervous at the word ‘demonstration.’  _Good,_ she thought. It meant that they were paying attention. She made a mental note to have their files reviewed later on for possible advanced training.

Phil heard a snort, and turned. “Problem, Agent Tomlinson?” she asked. She couldn’t have planned his involvement in today better if she’d tried.

The young man smirked. “Well, yes ma’am, I think there is.”

“And why is that?” Phil asked.

“Well, ma’am,” Tomlinson said. “Excuse me for saying so, but you’re not exactly the most qualified to speak to us about this subject, are you?”

“And what makes you think that?” Phil asked, voice overly polite and professional. “Please, enlighten us.”

“Well,” Tomlinson began with a superior tone, not noticing that the two agents beside him were backing away. If Phil remembered correctly, one of them was that other agent from a few months ago. “If current assignments are any indication, Ma’am, you’re not one to talk about field assignments. As you’re currently removed off all field assignments for the foreseeable future. Something that has never happened in your career.”

“And this makes you think I’m not qualified to speak on this matter? Despite my years of service to this organization, and the percentage of my success rate on missions?”

“Pretty much, yeah,” Tomlinson said. “Despite your service, it’s become clear to those here that’s you’re probably not so good at your job, after all if you’ve been removed from field ops. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re considered worth being a level seven at all.”

Phil smirked. “Tell you what, agent Tomlinson, I’ll make you a deal. If you’re able to beat me in a fight, I will let you cherry pick an op to go on. Agent level be damned.”

“Yeah, right,” Tomlinson said, snorting in disbelief. “I’ll throw a punch and you’ll hold it against me.”

“Nope,” Phil said, popping the ‘p’ of the word. “I am an agent of my word. And I am standing here, in front in front of witnesses, saying that you can take a swing at me. If you win the match, you get to cherry pick an op. drugs, weapons, 0-8-4’s. You name it.”

Tomlinson smirked again. “Deal,”

 

 

“She’s going to kick his ass,” Natasha observed.

“She’s being nice about it, too,” May said. “I would’ve kicked his ass the second he opened his mouth, rather than let him spew that muck in front of so many people.”

“I think she’s angling for prime embarrassment,” Maria said.

“It’s starting,” Hand said, pulling out her phone to record.

 “Can I get a copy of that?” Maria asked.

 

 

Phil didn’t even take her jacket off. She stood there, casually, while Tomlinson squared off. On one side was the bleachers of agents, the other, the training classes. “Well?” she asked, after almost a minute had passed.

Tomlinson rushed her with a yell, and the next few minutes were a blur of his frantic fists and attempts to kick at her body. Phil blocked each one with ease, not letting him get a single punch in. Finally, after fifteen minutes of this, and a _nother_ blocked kick to her abdomen, she decided it had gone on long enough and to call it quits.

Tomlinson threw another jab and when his fist got close enough, she pulled him over her hip, tossing him onto his back. And while he was still reacting to being on his back, she pulled on his arm to move him flat on his stomach. Once there, she placed a heeled foot at his neck. He moved to try and get up, and she twisted his arm in a move Natasha was particularly fond of, making him cry out in pain as his shoulder dislocated and her heel dug in deeper.

“Are you done?” Phil asked calmly. She wasn’t even out of breath.

He whimpered in pain and nodded. Phil let him go and stepped back as he struggled to standing with just one arm, smiling at him in what Clint had once called her ‘Regina George’ smile.

“Well, now, Agent Tomlinson,” Phil said. “Since you clearly have yet to master the physical skills required of field agents, let’s quiz you on the procedural and administrative roles, shall we?  Answer right, and I’ll tell them to give you the good drugs when I release you to medical.”

Tomlinson said nothing, merely glowering in her direction. Phil continued, and asked, “Tell me, agent Tomlinson, do you know what clause forty-three in the Shield administrative policy is?”

Tomlinson stared at her blankly while in the background, somebody gasped. “Well?” she asked, resisting the urge to poke him in the injured arm he held in his hand.

“No,” he replied. “I don’t.”

Phil tsked. “Shame,” she replied. “Anybody else want to take a stab at it?” she asked of the group at large.

The three classes of agents were silent, so Phil explained. “Clause forty-three, also nicknamed the ‘maternity clause’, states that upon confirmation by Shield medical, a female field agent  or handler will be removed from designated field assignments for the duration of her pregnancy up to such time as they are cleared by Shield medical to return.”

Phil looked Tomlinson in the eye for the next part. “Meaning, Agent Tomlinson, I am not considered ‘unfit for duty’, but am merely pregnant, and will continue to be so for some time. So, in the future, before you decide if someone can’t do their job, maybe you should look at how well you can do your own.”

Phil stepped away and eyed the large group again. “Beginning today, all physical demonstration in your hand to hand courses will be administered by Agent May, and if she is not on assignment, Agent Romanov. And thanks to Agent Tomlinson’s exemplary performance today, it appears some retraining is needed. All three of your groups will be pulled back and start over on physical, weapons, and policy training.”

“But some of us completed beginning training six month ago!” someone in the back called out.

Phil raised an eyebrow, and they shut their mouth. “And I say you haven’t. If you don’t like it, tough shit. _I_ am in charge of all training at this time. And that means what I say regarding your training, goes.” She got a hard, look on her face that clearly gave a ‘don’t fuck with me’ vibe to the group in front of her. “Any other questions?”

The blonde agent held up her hand.

“Yes?” Phil asked.

“Is it true you once recruited an agent by breaking his leg?” she asked curiously.

“No,” Phil replied,

The blonde agent looked disappointed.

“I shot his leg,” Phil said matter of factly. “And now, he’s one of our best agents.”

She buttoned her jacket closed as best she could and said. “New training schedules will be distributed this evening, and begin tomorrow. You are all dismissed.” Phil spared a glance to Tomlinson. “Medical is in the bleachers to help you with that arm.”

Phil turned and walked away, striding out of the gym confidently. All nervousness about exposing her pregnancy tamped down under a cool façade of professionalism and her all business attitude.

 

Maria found Phil in medical with her doctor tutting at her lack of self-preservation by getting into a sparring match.

“But I won!” Phil said. “He never even touched me.”

“It doesn’t mean there’s not stress on your body from this,” the doctor chided. “Stress that doesn’t just affect you despite your confidence, Agent Coulson. What if he did hit you?”

“But he didn’t,” Phil replied. She looked at Maria. “Back me up here.”

“It’s true,” Maria said, shrugging off the doctor’s glare. “He never touched her, and based on what I saw today, he never would have.”

“You’re both a terrible influence on each other,” the doctor said exasperatedly, shaking her head.

“You’re just realizing that now?” Maria asked, grabbing a stool and taking a seat.

The doctor rolled her eyes and looked back to Phil. “Well, if you’re so sure you’re fine you’ll let me do an ultrasound.”

Phil made a face.

“No but’s Agent Coulson. You’re now officially overdue. No more stalling.”

Phil sighed. “Fine.”

The doctor was wheeling over the portable ultrasound machine when Maria’s phone pinged. “Oooh!” she exclaimed upon reading the message.

“What?” Phil asked.

“‘Who’s the daddy?’ has already hit six grand.”

“It’s only been forty five minutes!”

“Shield works fast,” Maria said. “Plus, you know that whole gym was on the phone with everyone who wasn’t there as soon as you walked out.” She checked her phone again. “Boy or girl and due date are making a strong showing, but nothing compared to the ‘daddy’ pool.”

“Who’re the contenders?” Phil asked, laying back on the table and pulling up her shirt before unbuttoning her pants so they could get to her stomach. She noticed her doctor hiding laughter at their conversation.

Maria held up a fist and opened a fingers with the recitation of each name. “Sitwell, Fury, that dude from weapons tech, IT guy who was here las year, Barton, Frederickson, and the midnight security guard.”

Any response Phil had was stopped by the doctor squirting gel onto her stomach and then running a wand through it. The doctor hummed as she worked. Phil and Maria watched for several minutes as the vaguely baby shaped image moved on screen.

“Well, Agent Coulson,” the doctor began. “Despite your wait for this, I’d say everything’s looking good over here.” She removed the wand and pushed a button to start a print out. “You’re little stunt today notwithstanding, baby takes after mom it seems. Hasn’t even rolled over in discontent.”

She helped Phil sit up and handed her the set of print outs. “For your desk.”

Phil looked down at the grainy images and smiled softly. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” the doctor said. “At this point, just keep doing what you’re doing, stick to the dietary and vitamin requirements you’ve been prescribed, and I’ll see you in another few weeks.”

She dragged Maria outside to let Phil get herself cleaned up and dressed and was heard speaking next door when she left the office. She leaned against the door and sighed, her eyes on the photo in front of her. She spent a few moments tracing the shape of the baby’s head, down to what looked like the arms, and then the legs. She let a smile escape before tucking the photo in her jacket pocket and striding down the hallway to work.

 

“Aww,” Maria said the next day at lunch. “It looks like me!”

Phil smiled from behind her (decaf) coffee but said nothing as Maria raised her voice a little louder to say, “I’m so glad we decided to use my eggs for this. This kid is so obviously a Hill.”

Phil heard someone start choking behind her and said softly, “You’re an ass.”

“And yet, you still love me,” Maria said, smiling cheekily as she handed the picture back to Phil.

Phil rolled her eyes, but when she heard whispers behind her about what Maria said, she sighed. “Thanks,” she said quietly so it couldn’t be heard. Deflection was an amazing skill to have on her side right now.  

Maria winked and went back to eating her lunch.

 


	5. Conversations on the Couch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another glimpse at Clint and Phil. Maria tries to ease some fears.

One night, several weeks after the demonstration, Phil found herself shifting uncomfortably in her seat behind the dark wood of her desk. Her belly, which had begun to expand rapidly after the match with Tomlinson, was making it hard to sit comfortably. After five attempts in an hour, Phil huffed in annoyance, gathered up her papers, and made herself comfortable on the couch.

No stranger to working on the large and comfortable piece of furniture, Phil found herself using her stomach as a prop as she went through reports.

While she worked, she tried to focus on the papers in front of her, and not on the odd sensation of a small creature crawling around inside her.

Try as she might, though, she found herself unable to concentrate. So instead she set her paperwork down, lifted up her shirt, and placed a hand on her belly. Her fingers spread wide as she closed her eyes and let the motions she felt calm her. Her mind drifting back to memories.

 

 

_There was a knock at the door._

_Phil sighed. “Who is it?” she called from the couch._

_“Barton,” came the quick reply._

_Phil tensed up, but didn’t let it show in her voice as she called out, “Come in!” looking around for her shoes. This is why she avoided letting herself get comfortable at work!_

_The door opened to show Clint in full tactical gear, go bag on his back. “Heading out?” Phil asked._

_“I don’t remember you being up for anything,” she said after he nodded, forgetting her shoes and reaching for a tablet._

_Clint shrugged. “Benton’s sniper backed out. I wasn’t assigned to anything and I figured it wouldn’t hurt for him to owe me one.” He dropped the bag and stood casually. “You should have the request from him in your inbox.”_

_Phil tapped on her tablet where a red one showed over her email. “So it would seem.”_

_She read the details quietly and archived the message for later. “Well, it wouldn’t hurt for him to get some different talent in the mix.”_

_“That’s what I figured you’d say,” he said._

_Phil hummed her agreement, trying not to fidget in front of him. Thoughts of their last interaction playing in her head. There was silence for a few moments as they looked at each other in an uncomfortable game of chicken. “Was there anything else you needed, Agent Barton?” Phil asked._

_“Clint,” he said._

_Phil blinked.  “I'm sorry?”_

_He sighed and ran a hand over his face before taking a deep breath and saying.  “I'm about to say something, and I'm going to say it as Clint, a guy, and not agent Barton.”_

_“Okay,” Phil said cautiously._

_“Put the paper work down first, please. “_

_Phil raised an eyebrow and set aside her paperwork on the seat beside her.  Clint strode forward and grabbed the additional paper work off her ottoman and set that on the floor before looking at her hand as if he wanted to grab it, but thought better of it._

_Phil couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed._

_“I, uh,” Clint began. “I wanted to talk, if that's alright, about the other night “_

_“Okay,” Phil said, and settled more comfortably in her seat, trying to look relaxed._

_Clint looked like he wanted to fidget, and Phil couldn’t help but wonder if he was nervous. “I, uh,” he began.  “I wanted to let you know that the other night, it was…it was really great. I had a good time.”_

_For some reason she couldn’t understand, Phil’s heart sank. Memories of previous breakups and dismissals flashed through her head, and Phil had to admonish herself mentally for thinking that’s what this was. “You’re not even together!” she told herself. “Stop it!”_

_Then she let a small thought of_ at least I’m dressed for this one, _sneak through._

_Clint cleared his throat and Phil snapped back to the matter at hand. “I also wanted you to know that, I respect you immensely, and hope that what I'm about to say won’t jeopardize the working relationship we’ve built up over the past few years.”_

_Phil smiled, letting the steel of her “Agent Coulson” mindset settle in. “Trust me when I say Age-, Clint, that I will not hold anything you say in the next few moments against you.”_

_Clint let out a nervous breath. “Good,” he said.  He smiled and continued, “Because what I’d really like to say is that, actually, I didn’t have a_ good _time the other night-“_

_Phil’s heart clenched._

_“I had an amazing time. Fucking fantastic, really.”_

_Phil stared at him in surprise.  “Oh?”_

_“Yeah,” Clint said. He rubbed the back if his neck nervously. “I wasn’t lying when I said it was great.” He finally reached out and grabbed her hand. “Frankly, I wouldn’t be opposed to us doing it again, because that was the best fucking sex of my life.”_

_Phil stared at him for a few moments, studying his eyes for any hint of laughter.  Finally, she said, “You're serious.”_

_“Why wouldn't I be?” Clint asked._

_Phil pulled her hand free.  “You’ve been linked to women like Natasha and Bobbi, I’d think you’d be more interested in someone closer to them in…” Phil trailed off as she struggled to find the right word._

_“Closer to them in what?” Clint asked, confusion showing on his face._

_Phil set her lips in a hard line before saying, “In looks, Clint. Those two are, quite frankly, beautiful.”_

_“And you think you’re not?” Clint asked. “You think I don’t like your looks?”_

_Phil snorted. “I’ve been around the block quite a few times, Clint. I know how my looks compare to those of some of the other women around here. Not that I'm dying for the assignments, but I'm not the one they’ve ever picked for the honey pot missions. Those usually go to women that men have a desire to sleep with. “_

_Rather than respond with words Clint leaned forward and kissed her hard, hand in her hair and tongue easing her lips open easily. Phil moaned quietly into the kiss, and Clint took that as a cue to lean her back onto the couch, papers crinkling underneath them as he laid on top of her, knee slipping between her thighs, hand sliding down to squeeze her breast, making another moan escape her throat._

_Clint broke the kiss and pulled away enough that their lips were barely touching when he said “I don’t know who put this idea in your head that nobody would want you.” He ground his hips into hers, and she felt his erection clear through his pants. “But I promise you that you are sorely mistaken.”_

_He kissed her again, softer, both hands cupping her face, and pulled himself off of her. He stood smoothly, and straightened his clothing, hard on hidden in the heaviness of his pants. “I'll be back in two weeks,” he said. “And when I am, I’d like us to have this conversation again. That’s plenty of time to decide what you’d like to do.”_

_Phil, lips and cheeks pink, clothes and hair mussed, simply nodded silently from where she leaned back on the couch. Clint smiled, gave a wink, and grabbed his go bag before leaving. Her door shut behind him smoothly with a soft click._

There was a knock at the door.

Phil sighed. “Who is it?”

“It’s me!” Maria called.

“Come in,” Phil said, just staring at the shoes she’d kicked off earlier and not bothering to move.

Maria walked in and smiled at the sight of Phil resting with her hands on her stomach, staring at its shape.

“Enjoying the view?” Maria asked, shutting the door behind her.

“He kissed me on this couch,” Phil said.

“I thought you said you had sex on it,” Maria said.

“We did,” Phil said. “But we also kissed. Sometimes, when it was late, and I was tired, and wasn’t going to be getting home any time soon, he would bring me coffee. Then, he would kiss me, and let me get back to work.” Phil shrugged. “It was nice.”

“It sounds nice,” Maria replied, sitting at the end of the couch and lifting Phil’s legs so she could sit before putting them across her lap. “Sounds like you two got along well.”

“We did,” Phil said, poking at her stomach. “We do.”

“So what’s the problem, then?” Maria asked.

“What if…” Phil began, softly voicing a concern that had been creeping through her mind the past few weeks. “What if he’s angry? What if he says no?”

“To the baby?” Maria asked.

“To me,” Phil said. “ _And_ the baby.”

“Then he’s a dick,” Maria said bluntly. “And we find you someone new.”

Phil smiled, but Maria could tell it wasn’t happy. “You say that like its easy.”

“It can be,” Maria said.

“For you, maybe,” Phil replied. “For me, it’s not that easy.”

“Is that why you let yourself hook up with Barton?” Maria asked. “Because you think nobody wants you?”

“At first, maybe a small part of me did,” Phil said. “But after a while it was just…fun. He made me feel happy when we were together. Helped me be more than just ‘Shield Agent Coulson’.”

“Do you love him?” Maria asked.

“I don’t know!” Phil exclaimed, throwing up her hands in frustration before resting them back on her belly. “I think I can. Someday.”

Maria smiled at her and looked over at her belly. “Don’t think you have to, because of the baby,” she warned, tapping it lightly.

“I don’t,” Phil said. “But it’s nice to think about sometimes. Being in love, having a baby, making a family.”

Maria smiled again. “Well than, let’s help get you started with the middle one, and hopefully you can work your way to the others.”

Phil smiled, “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Maria said. They sat in silence for a while before Maria said, “Coffee? I’ll sneak you a cup of the real stuff behind the lunch ladies backs.”

“God yes!” Phil replied excitedly. “Don’t rat me out to the doc though.”

Maria laughed and helped Phil to her feet.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went through and broke down the story chapters last night. With the current breakdown, we're looking at 13-14 chapters, and lengths are varying based on where I felt they needed to be broken up.
> 
> Also, thank you for the Kudos and comments! It really makes my day when I'm sneaking in time on my phone at work.


	6. Complaints and Observations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha and Phil at work. 
> 
> Clint finally makes an appearance.

“Tomlinson filed a complaint against you,” Victoria said.

“Oh no, whatever will I do?” Phil relied dramatically. Victoria snickered and Phil asked, “He still grumpy about re-doing training, or is it something new?”

“Apparently you are in a relationship with Maria Hill, and it makes him uncomfortable.”

Phil barely glanced up from her tablet. She was overseeing hand to hand combat today. Well, Victoria Hand was overseeing while Phil took a break by overlooking Victoria’s upcoming mission plans. Natasha provided assistance by standing in the middle of the floor and yelling. Whether in encouragement or to scare the recruits into compliance was a little unclear at the moment.

“He also says Maria is covering up op screw ups because that baby was conceived in a lesbian-sperm donor clinic type of situation.”

Phil looked up to eye the young handler curiously and said, “No, I am not going to tell you who the father is.”

“C’mon!” Victoria exclaimed. “The pot’s already at fifteen grand at this point! Slip me a name, just let it out quietly, and I’ll split the winnings with you.”

“Split what winnings with who now?” Natasha asked, coming over to grab a water bottle from the bench next to Phil.

“Baby daddy pool,” Phil replied.

“Ah,” Natasha commented in understanding. She took a swig from her water bottle and said, “I already bought into that. I went Fury, figured that you guys are close enough where he could do you a favor and give you the sample to have a baby.”

"That's what I was thinking too," Victoria said. She looked at Phil conspiratorially. "A simple nod yes or no would make me feel better about betting on it though..."

“What makes you think I didn’t make the kid the old fashioned way?” Phil said. “I could’ve had a wild night of passion and lust and on my desk and wound up with a baby.”

“Gag,” Victoria replied. “Too much work.”

Natasha and Phil couldn’t help but stare at her response. “You don’t like sex, do you?” Natasha asked.

“God no,” Victoria said. “Why get gross and sweaty only to have a disappointing orgasm? I prefer spending my time to myself and only having to worry about my mess and not someone else’s.” She turned to Phil and tapped the tablet. “What do you think? Since you're apparently not helping me win fifteen grand.”

“Looks good to me,” Phil said, handing the technology back. “Take Carter with you, she’s showing promise, and it’ll have the benefit of pissing Tomlinson off.”

Victoria grinned and yelled for the blonde agent to join her as she exited the room.

“So…” Natasha began. “Sex on your desk huh?”

Phil grinned. “Caught that did you?”

Natasha shrugged. “I’ve worked with you long enough, I can tell when you’re letting the truth slip out as a lie.”

Phil chuckled and leaned back against the wall behind the bench to watch as the recruits punched and kicked at each other.

“So I guess it’s needless to start a ‘you and Maria are lesbian lovers’ pool?”

Phil raised an eyebrow at her. “You mean there isn’t one already?”

Natasha gave a small smile and shrugged. “It’s a small one.”

Phil snorted and rubbed a hand over her belly. “I assure you, her only involvement has been to watch me soak forty different pregnancy tests in a cup of pee and then get wasted on my behalf.”

“I didn’t know you were that close,” Natasha said, taking a seat next to Phil to the bench.

Phil shrugged. “Neither did I,” she said. “But I guess we all find people that surprise us now and again.”

Natasha gave a noise of agreement. “I personally prefer to view it as, ‘who’s there with you in a time of crises’.”

“Having kid isn’t exactly a crisis,” Phil said.

“No,” Natasha replied, “but from what I’ve seen, it can be hard, and it’s good to have a friend at your back.”

Phil smiled at her words.

“Especially when the father is on the other side of the planet on a classified – no communication op and you’re not able to tell him you’re having his baby.”

Phil’s smile froze and Natasha smirked. “Thought so.”

Phil released her frozen expression to sigh. “I hate you guys sometimes.”

“Oh please,” Natasha said. “You love us! Him apparently more than me, but I’m not really into girls at the moment, anyways. “

Phil shook her head at Natasha’s words and the red head said, “If it makes you feel better, he never told me anything. I came to my conclusions on my own. I had noticed some changes in him for a while and thought something, well someone, may have been going on.”

“Dare I ask what those changes were?” Phil asked.

Natasha shrugged, tossing a piece of hair over her shoulder. “Small things, mostly. Staying late at work some nights, but coming back smiling the next day, even though late night office work usually made him crazy. Extra range time on days you’d have to leave unexpectedly. Whistling when he’d be heading home on ops you weren’t running.”

“Maybe he was just glad to be going home,” Phil said.

“And stay at the office past midnight when he does?” Natasha asked. “Keeping two condoms instead of one in his wallet at all times? _Changing_ those condoms out on a regular basis? Nice touch on the red ones, by the way. Classy.”

“Should I ask how you know the color of the condoms he uses?” Phil asked.

“He has a tendency to throw his wallet at me when we order food so he can hail a cab. I noticed the condoms the past couple of times.”

Phil sighed and resisted the urge to fidget.

“Does anybody else know?” she asked.

“Not that I can tell,” Natasha said. “Rumor has it he’s currently last on possible options for the pool. Everyone thinks his routine mission insubordination makes you dislike him enough to be repulsed by sex with him.”

“Who’s the first place contender?” Phil asked.

“Sitwell,” Natasha said. “Apparently you and he are having a torrid affair and Fury sent him on the current op after the two of you had a fight. He sadly has yet to learn of your pending expulsion of his progeny.”

“I told Maria _not_ to spread that rumor,” Phil said exasperatedly.

“She didn’t,” Natasha said. “I did.”

Phil looked at her in surprise.

Natasha smiled kindly. “Maria may be your friend, Phil, but so am I. And if it helps you to protect your privacy, as well as that of my best friend before he can get back, than I’m happy to do what I can.”

Phil sniffled and made an annoyed face at her hormones acting up. “Thank you. That’s pretty great.”

Natasha winked. “Anytime.”

She stood and dusted off imaginary dirt. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I feel like making some baby agents cry.”

 

 

 

_“I thought we were supposed to be talking about this?” Clint asked breathlessly._

_“Talk after,” Phil said, reaching for his belt. “I want you inside me.”_

_“I would like it noted for the record, that I wanted to talk first,” Clint said._

_“Duly noted,” Phil said. She pulled his pants down briskly, not even blinking at his lack of underwear or his erection. “Condom?”_

_“Back pocket,” Clint said._

_Phil dug in his pants and pulled out the foil wrapped package. She tore it open and rolled it on before Clint grabbed her roughly, turned her around, and bent her over her desk, fingers digging in to her hips enough to bruise. He pushed her skirt up and pulled her underwear aside, groaning as he slid in._

_“God you feel good,” Clint said._

_Phil said nothing, her only response was to moan as he began to thrust into her._

_Later, he thought. They’d talk later._

 

“Barton!”

Clint didn’t jerk awake from his dream as he just opened his eyes abruptly and instantly to glare at his current mission handler for interrupting it.

“Sir?” Clint asked.

“We’ve got a mission update,” Sitwell said. 

Next to Clint, Jacobson groaned.  “Nooooooo!”

Sitwell looked confused. “What’s his problem?”

Clint sat up straighter and cracked his neck. “Sir, every time you say there’s an update, we wind up extending the mission. It’s going on almost eight months now. I, we, know it’s part of the job, but frankly, we just want to go home. I only packed four pairs of underwear!”

The  young, newer, agent on his other side, ‘call me Mack’ snorted his laughter.

Sitwell wrinkled his nose. “Thank you for that image, Agent Barton.”

“Anytime, sir,” Clint replied.

“Well, if it makes you and your team mates feel any better it looks like we have what we need. Tomorrow, we’ll begin work on the final take down. If all goes as planned, we’ll be heading home by the end of the month.”

“That’s three more weeks!” another agent exclaimed as Sitwell began going through details.

The team tuned him out. At this point, they’d been on the mission long enough to memorize the plan details several times over.

“God, I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed,” Mack said quietly.

“You live on base,” Clint said.

“Doesn’t matter,” he replied. “It means I won’t have to wake up next to you and Sitwell every day. I’ll be able to take as long of a shower as I want and can hopefully find some alone time with my lady friend.”

“You’re dating someone?" Clint asked.

“I _was_ ,” Mack said, huffing in annoyance. “At this point she’s probably cursed my name and burned all my shit. All I know is, if after this week if we’re not getting the okay to head home, I’m getting my gun and just killing everyone in that trafficking ring before setting everything on fire and pissing on it.”

“Here here!” agent Jacobson cheered. Sitwell had left a few moments ago.

“Agent Mackenzie, are you seriously suggesting we possibly fubar a mission?” Clint asked.

“No,” Mack said. “I’d never. That would be wrong, and a waste of agency resources after being on a two month op for almost eight fucking months!”

“Shame,” Clint said, “cause if you weren’t going to, I was.”

Mack smirked. “You trying to get laid too?”

“Nope,” Clint replied, purposefully not letting memories of Phil bent over her desk, skirt to her waist and seamed stockings flashing as he thrust into her. “I’m just ready to go home at this point. This place can burn for all I give a fuck.”

“We got a plan?” Jacobson asked.

“Not yet,” Clint said, leaning back against the wall to continue his nap. “But I’ll come up with something.”

 

 


	7. "Later"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flashback where Clint and Phil talk

_“Did we have a meeting?” Phil asked curiously as she watched Clint come into her office from behind her desk, having only just gotten into the room a few moments ago and not even sitting down yet._

_Clint shook his head. “No, but you’re due to go back out tomorrow and I know you’ll probably work late getting ready. Thought you might like some dinner.”_

_He sat on her couch in his hoody and some relaxed jeans, take out bags next to him. He looked good, Phil thought. Comfortable. Like he fit in her office perfectly._

_“Thank you,” Phil said. She dropped her bag, holster, and jacket on the desk before walking over and letting herself fall onto the couch with a sigh. She opened one of the bags and fished out a fry. “Is this also where we have that talk we’ve been putting off?”_

_Clint smirked. “If by ‘put off’ you mean have sex on your office furniture six times in between missions for the past month, than yeah.”_

_Phil made a face. “If I recall, you initiated during some of those.”_

_“Only two of them!” Clint replied. “You started the rest of them.”_

_Rather than respond Phil said, “Does it really count as office furniture if it’s on the couch?”_

_“Poor couch,” Clint said, giving it a pat. “It will never be the same.”_

_“I should probably have it cleaned,” Phil commented._

_Clint shrugged. “Or just don’t tell anyone what we did on it. You can torture them with it later if they piss you off.”_

_Phil laughed. “That too,” she agreed. She dug a burger out of the bag. “So…” she said, giving him an opening._

_“You started this,” Clint said. “You can go first.”_

_Phil sighed and picked at the burger. “I should probably start by saying I never really planned on this. No offense, but I’ve never really had this burning urge to have sex with you. Up until a few weeks ago, I only considered you as a coworker, a friend maybe, but not someone I’d want to do_ that _with.”_

_“Why not?” Clint said. “I won’t lie and say I haven’t thought of it once or twice.”_

_“Because you’re my subordinate,” Phil said. “It would be inappropriate. Also, it took too much work for me to get here in Shield. I’m not going to jeopardize that by letting it get out I slept with a fellow agent. The rumors about me and Fury are bad enough.”_

_“Don’t forget Maria,” Clint said._

_Phil rolled her eyes. “Yes, how can I forget? She tazed the last person who suggested something between them.”_

_Clint laughed. “I remember that! It was great.”_

_Phil smiled a tiny smile. “I suppose.” She picked at her burger and said, “I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t have asked you to do_ that _with me. I should have better self-control.”_

_“Yeah,” Clint said. “But you’re not the only one who had sex in this scenario. I very easily could’ve said no, and we would have gone on our way.”_

_“True,” Phil said. “But I’m a level above you in rank.  Shouldn’t be doing things like this.”_

_“But it’s so fun!” Clint replied with a cheeky grin._

_Phil’s lips twitched in a smile and Clint asked, “Do you want to stop?”_

_Phil sighed and looked at him curiously. “Hey,” he began. “It’s a legit question. I’m not going to lie and say I’ve wanted to be with you since I met you, but I also won’t lie and say I haven’t been having a good time. I know it’s weird, because we work together, but I don’t see why we can’t keep doing…whatever this is. We can set some guidelines, make sure we follow them.”_

_“Ground rules,” Phil said._

_“Ground rules,” Clint agreed. “We’ll talk about what we want, and don’t, we’ll lay out guidelines for how to handle this, and if someone wants out, we’ll deal with it when it happens.”_

_“So what would we be doing?” Phil asked. “Fuck buddies? Friends with benefits? I like you Clint, but I also like how we work together. And I have to echo your sentiment from earlier that I haven’t really thought of this before. My life is crazy. I’ve tried to date on occasion, but after a while I find myself not caring anymore and dive into work more and more.”_

_“Well, we don’t have to be dating exactly,” Clint said, “but friends with benefits does feel a bit too casual for us.”_

_“So we’d be what, half dating?” Phil asked. “Something slightly above friends with benefits?”_

_Clint shrugged. “Maybe? We clearly get along well. I like to think of us as friends as well as coworkers.”_

_“We are,” Phil replied._

_“I also know us ‘dating’ may not be the best idea due to work. I mean, it’s not like we can tell people what we’re doing. Well, we_ can _, but I’d rather not, if that’s okay with you. I enjoy my privacy these days.”_

_“Same,” Phil said. “So, first ground rule, we don’t tell anyone.”_

_“Agreed.”_

_“Are we exclusive?” Phil asked._

_“If you want,” Clint said. “I don’t mind. And the sex has been fantastic.”_

_Phil grinned. “Agreed.”_

_“Do we go off base?” Clint asked. “Or keep it here? While I’m sure I can find plenty of uses for your office, I also wouldn’t mind seeing what we can get up to in a bed without worrying about deadlines or witnesses.”_

_“Off base is fine,” Phil said._

_“What’s off limit?” Clint asked._

_“Bringing it into work,” Phil said. “The second that happens, it’s done.”_

_“Deal,” Clint said._

_Phil put down her burger and ticked off on her fingers. “So far we have no telling, exclusive is okay, off base allowed, and we end it if it ever effects our work. Anything else?”_

_Clint shrugged. “I’m good. You?”_

_Phil smiled. “Same.”_

_“Cool,” Clint said. “Now, finish your burger. We can probably squeeze in a make out session tonight before you have to get ready for that op.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So at this point I think we're just past the halfway point. There will be a couple more things with Maria and Phil and maybe a couple more flashbacks with Clint and Phil before they catch up to each other in person.  
> Thanks for all the Kudos! They're super appreciated.


	8. Off Base

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Flashback before the story continues. Clint and Phil get some time together.

_“So this is your apartment huh?” Clint asked as Phil led him through the door._

_“Yup,” Phil said, throwing her keys and purse onto the dining room table. “Wine?” she asked._

_“Sure.”_

_Phil moved to the kitchen while Clint wandered to the hallway. “Captain America, huh?” he asked, eyeing posters on the wall._

_“Don’t laugh,” Phil warned._

_“Hey,” Clint said, “I'm not judging. Just surprised is all. I took you more for a Wonder Woman type.”_

_“Wonder woman is a comic. Captain America is real. He was one of our biggest figures of World War Two. The work he did helped put the Strategic Scientific Reserve on the map to become Shield.”_

_Clint heard a pop from the cork. “I prefer fantasy myself,” Clint said, walking back into the kitchen. “Sometimes it’s nice to have an escape from reality.”_

_Phil hummed her acknowledgement and poured him a healthy glass._

_“Thanks,” he said, taking the glass from her. Phil smiled and hoisted herself up on the counter before grabbing the bottle and pouring herself a glass. He took a sip and walked forward to stand against her knees. Phil raised an eyebrow and let her legs open so Clint could stand between them._

_He put down his glass and slid his hands up her thighs, resting his hands on her hips as she took a healthy gulp of wine. When she was done he leaned forward and kissed her, letting his tongue taste the wine left on her lips before slipping through to meet with hers._

_Phil hummed in pleasure as he kissed her, letting him explore her mouth slowly as she brought her free hand up to his neck and rested it behind his head, fingers playing with the hair at the base of his skull._

_She took a breath as he broke the kiss, moving to her jaw and neck to make a trail there._

_“I though you wanted dinner,” Phil said, her breath catching as he left a kiss at a sensitive spot where her jaw met her neck._

_“I do,” he said, moving lower to her collar, reaching up to pull the neck of her blouse open so he could reach more skin._

_“I have no food in my fridge,” Phil said, putting down her wine glass and leaning forward to kiss him on the lips, both hands framing his face as she did so._

_“Guess we'll have to order something,” he said when she broke the kiss, her breath deep and fast._

_“Good plan,” she said, reaching for his shirt. “I have menus somewhere...”_

_He let her pull the shirt over his head and reached for her blouse._

_“You should order,” he said, fingers opening buttons deftly. “You know what’s good.”_

_“Okay,” she said, leaning into his hands as he filled them with her breasts. “I think my phone’s behind you.”_

_Clint pulled a lace cup down and Phil said “Oh!” as his lips found her nipple. She turned the breath into a moan when he let his teeth scrape against it._

_“We should –” she started, when he left the moist part of her breast exposed to the air and moved to the other. “Order something.”_

_He sucked through lace before repeating his actions and exposing her breast. As he did so, his other hand slid between her legs to rub at the heat there. “You wore pants,” he growled into her cleavage._

_“Sorry to disappoint you,” Phil said unapologetically._

_Clint pulled back and leaned over to the island behind him, grabbing her phone in its sensible black case. He thrust it into her hand. “Order,” he said roughly. “Cause I want to fuck you on this counter before they get here.”_

_Phil smiled as she sat there on the counter, breasts falling out of the lace cups of her bra, legs open, face flushed, and dialed. Clint could hear the ring on the line as she waited._

_“I’d like to place an order to go,” Phil said when someone came on the line, letting him reach for her fly and giving a small hop so he could pull her pants past her hips. He tossed them over his shoulder and watched as she ordered, appreciating the casualness on which she sat there almost completely naked and bared to him. She pulled some pins out of her hair as she put in a request for extra garlic, her hair falling loose and wavy past her shoulders.  Clint reached for a piece, running it through his fingers as she rattled off a credit card number from memory. He watched her lips as she thanked the person and confirmed delivery time._

_Phil watched him curiously as she disconnected the call, setting the phone on the counter, her hair still in his hand._

_“You know you’re beautiful, right?” Clint asked._

_Phil barked out a laugh. “I’m_ okay _,” she said. “Nothing like Natasha. She’s beautiful.”_

_“She is,” Clint agreed. “But you are too. Maybe not in the same way she is, but you still have…something. Something different.”_

_Phil smiled, almost sadly. “Something ‘different’ doesn’t get you called beautiful, Clint. It gets you called bland.”_

_“Is that what they called you?” Clint asked. “That first day?”_

_Phil let out an annoyed breath. “I don’t want to talk about this,” she said firmly, lips settling into a firm line that would be a frown on anyone else._

_“Okay,” Clint said, letting her hair go. He leaned forward and kissed her, fingers lightly tracing her breasts, causing her to shiver._

_“Me not talking about it,” he said, breaking the kiss and reaching for the zipper on his pants, “doesn’t make what I said not true.”_

_Phil rolled her eyes, but he could see the tiny smile that graced her lips before gasping as he pulled her closer and slid into her._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Overall chapter count is now TBD. I merged a couple of them into one long chapter instead of two small ones.


	9. Bits and Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint is Clint. Maria and Phil talk the betting pools again. And the last of the Flashbacks.

“Barton!” Sitwell yelled over the comm.

 An explosion was sounding in the background, right as Clint said, “My bad!”

Sitwell kept yelling, the agent in the van beside him struggling as he tried to contain a grin.

In another vehicle, Mack and the other agents snickered as another explosion sounded, causing a building to collapse.

Sitwell roared and the snickers turned into guffaws as Clint said, “Oops.”

“God fucking dammit Barton!”

Mack howled his laughter, fist slamming onto the console in front of him as Clint asked, “Does this mean we can go home, sir?”

Rather than yell, Sitwell just sighed. “I fucking hate all of you.”

“So,” Clint began, “is that a no?”

Sitwell sighed again. “Pack your shit everybody. We’re going home.”

Across the open comm’s, everybody cheered.

 

_They were driving from bum-fuck Nebraska to Texas, hauling some ‘thing’ a scientist had cooked up. Knowing the amount of work Phil most likely needed to do on the way there, Clint offered to drive. Phil readily agreed and spent a majority of the first day tapping away at a laptop. Once night rolled around, Phil phoned around and confirmed a hotel. “GPS puts it at two hours,” Phil said, putting her phone in the pocket of her jacket._

_Clint nodded at her words. “Done working?” he asked._

_“For now,” Phil said. “I’ll finish the rest at the hotel.”_

_She settled more comfortably in her seat and watched the stars drift across the sky as they drove.  It was quiet, but nice._

_Clint glanced over as her eyes started to drift shut several times. On an impulse, he reached for her hand. She started at the feeling of his fingers, looking down in surprise as he laced them with hers. “I’m assuming we’ll have separate rooms,” he said._

_Phil nodded. “We_ are _on an op.”_

_Clint said nothing, merely lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a light kiss there, eyes never leaving the road._

_Phil looked at him for a few moments and went back to watching the road. Neither of them said anything about the fact they didn’t really hold hands as whatever it was they were._

_When they pulled into the hotel later that night, Phil’s head was resting against the window, her breath making the glass fog up as she slept. Clint’s hand was still in hers until she woke up to open the door and get out of the car._

“Did you bet in the pool?” Phil asked.

Maria froze with a bite of donut in her mouth. “No…” she said, the word sounding odd in her mouth around the piece of cake.

Phil eyed her warily. “Are you lying?”

Maria swallowed. “Technically, no.”

Phil looked at her in disbelievingly and Maria threw up her hands. “I'm not allowed to okay! Donavan is a dick who said I couldn’t. Apparently I ‘know too much’.” She said the last part with air quotes.

“You said technically,” Phil observed.

“Oh that,” Maria said. “Technically, I am not allowed to.”

“But?”

Maria grinned. “I may have provided May a suggestion and some funds for a bet.”

Phil glared. “So May knows?”

“In her defense, she suspected the entire pregnancy before you told everyone.” Maria took another bite and said, “She also maybe threw me two names out of the five possible. She figured me laughing at it being Sitwell meant she should go with the other option.”

Phil just sighed. “So what’s her cut?”

“Fifteen percent.”

“Seems low,” Phil said.

“She’s doing Nat’s too,” Maria said.  “Donavan banned her too, apparently. That thing she said about the Fury bet was a lie to get people to bet on him more and stack the odds against Clint.”

Phil laughed.

 

_She had, surprisingly, a day off. Rather than spend it running errands she opted for taking the chance to catch up on some reading. She didn’t get to do that very much anymore._

_It was a little after noon when the doorbell rang. Not thinking much of it, she padded to the door in her leggings and t-shirt, and blinked in surprise to see “Clint?” she asked._

_“Hey,” he said._

_“What wrong?” she asked, seeing his go bag._

_“There seems to be a contamination issue in sector C, and I just got off an op. It okay if I crash for a bit until its clear?”_

_Phil didn’t say anything, but simply held the door open to allow him in. “I’d offer you food, but-”_

_“I know,” Clint replied with a chuckle.  “You don’t keep food. Its fine, I just want a chance to sit, honestly.”_

_Phil smiled. “I can get you coffee if you want. The showers all yours if you need it, laundry too.”_

_Clint grinned his thanks and Phil went back to her book. She let the sound of the water from the shower and the hum of the machine drone on in the background, not paying much attention when Clint’s footfalls sounded across the floor._

_He collapsed on her couch with a sigh, Phil at the opposite end. “I hate Dubai,” he said._

_Phil smiled. “Good brunch though.”_

_Clint chuckled and reached for the remote. He paused, looking at her questioningly and when she said nothing, instead just turning a page in her book, he turned it to a baking show._

_After a while, Clint felt pressure in his leg and saw Phil’s feet pressed against it for warmth. He smiled and moved so her toes were covered by his thigh, thumb rubbing circles on her ankle absentmindedly as the people on the show talked about yeast and chocolate._

_Phil turned another page in her book, and Clint smiled._

They were still three hours out when Clint’s phone buzzed.  He raised an eyebrow curiously. Per mission guidelines, they were under a strict no contact until they touched down on base. Glancing around the plane, he saw no one watching and tapped on the screen to see an encrypted message. The number was unknown, but he supposed it was Natasha. It usually was.

He tapped out a couple pass codes and a picture flashed across the screen of Coulson standing next to Maria on the range. A bright orange pair of head phones was on her ears and she was caught mid gesture, pointing at something on the range, her other hand stabbing at the tablet in Maria’s hands.

In between them, underneath the tablet, was Phil’s large, round, pregnant belly.

Clint breathed slow as he stared at the image.

Coulson, pregnant, was a site to see. In the photo, she leaned back slightly from Maria, clearly compensating for the extra weight of her belly. Her face, he saw, was fuller and rounder than before. She was dressed comfortably, a Shield jacket over a loose top and slim pants, a far cry from her usual buttoned up appearance Clint was used to seeing her in at Shield.

She looked good, though, he thought. Very comfortable, almost happy. His mind had a brief memory of her in her apartment, dressed for a day of laziness, and he imagined her dressed the same, her belly full as it was now, but barefoot, and laid out on her couch. He could imagine himself there with her, comfortable, happy.

Of course, another part of his mind was also screaming at him “HOLY FUCK!” over and over again. He also knew he couldn’t do much about that right now, so there wasn’t much point to over reacting. 

Clint also suspected he’d been sent this picture against regulations and mission protocols so as to avoid a possibly very noticeable, and public, reaction. He and Coulson had been private for a reason, and he guessed she had kept it that way.

His phone went off again and the text he received confirmed his suspicions.

_*Nobody knows*_

His phone went silent after that, and stayed that way.

Clint spent a few moments staring at the picture after that, his thumb tracing the image of Coulson, full, round, and beautiful. Her hair, which he always remembered her putting up primly, hung down her back in waves, and he couldn’t help but want to run his fingers through it like when they were alone. He imagined it would feel smooth, and smell like that weird soap she used. He would start by tracing her face, her lips, let his fingers drift through the waves, slide down her arms, and stop with his hand on her belly, and feel it for himself. Clint closed the message and thumped his head against the hull.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end is near!  
> Sort of. 
> 
> Thanks again for the Kudos!


	10. Work Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sitwell and Clint return to Shield.

“You’re fucking pregnant?!”

Phil turned around to see Sitwell behind her on the primary meeting area of the floor that housed Fury’s office, as well as Maria’s. He looked rumpled and annoyed, staring at her, and her belly, in shock.

Phil frowned. “Hello, Sitwell. It’s nice to see you too.” She clamped down urge to start hyperventilating. Sitwell was back which mean _Clint_ was back.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck._

Sitwell glared. “Why do people think I am the father of your baby?”

Phil blinked innocently. “They do?” she said, acting surprised. She widened her eyes, “I had no idea!”

Behind her, somebody working at a nearby desk snickered, and a muscle in Sitwell's eyebrow twitched.

“I am not the father of your baby!” he exclaimed.

Phil raised an eyebrow coolly at his outburst and said soothingly “You seem tired Sitwell, you just got back in. Perhaps you should get some rest? The field reports can wait until tomorrow I'm sure.”

Sitwell clenched his teeth and growled out a noise in frustration.

“Ooh!” Maria said, walking up behind her. “What’s wrong with your forehead?”

Sitwell turned red in anger and began swearing at Phil and Maria in what sounded like a mix of German and possibly Dutch.

Maria gasped and patted Phil’s belly. “Don’t listen to him baby! We still love you!”

Phil smacked her hand away and a throat cleared behind them.

Maria turned faster than Phil and said “Barton!” in a cheerful tone before Phil got all the way around. “Heard you blew some stuff up!”

Clint chuckled, but said nothing. He did however, give Coulson a slow once over before saying, “Looking good, Coulson.”

“Thank you,” Phil said, putting a hand on her belly.

Clint’s eyes flicked to her palm before going back to her face and holding up a tablet. “Fury said you were free to handle my debrief?”

“Certainly,” Phil replied, not skipping a beat. “Did you need to work on your report before then, or…?”

Clint shook his head. “Did it on the plane.”

“That’s helpful,” Phil replied. “I’ll meet you in my office in, say, thirty minutes?”

“Sounds good,” Clint replied. He looked over to Maria and nodded a good bye. “Ma’am.”

“Agent,” Maria replied coolly.

Clint turned to walk away and Maria said softly, so nobody could hear. “Don’t puke.”

Phil rolled her eyes. “That wore off months ago.”

“Uh, huh,” Maria replied.

There was a noise of frustration behind them and they turned to see Sitwell still behind them, now getting angrier and angrier at being ignored during their exchange.  He opened his mouth to say something to them, but was interrupted by a yell.

“Sitwell!” Fury snapped.

The three senior agents lost their relaxed stances and stood at a straighter attention to see Fury stride into the room, a tablet and a hard copy file folder in hand. He looked angry, and around them everyone turned away from watching the spectacle that was Shield senior leadership being assholes to one another and went back to their monitors, not wanting to get into the path of Fury’s rage.

Rage that was currently focused on Sitwell.

“Do you care to explain to me why I’m holding a field report that says Barton blew up three buildings on an op that called for all property to be left intact? An op whose main objective was to be covert?!?!”

Sitwell flinched. “There were some unexpected circumstances during the final mission run.”

“Oh, really?” Fury asked. He raised an eyebrow and turned to Phil, pushing the tablet and file into her hands. “Seeing as how Barton is already going to be in your office for his debrief on this op, I expect you to be speaking with the other members over the rest of the week as well. Due to the _significance_ of the property damage,” he turned a glare at Sitwell, who barely contained a second flinch, “we’ll need as many details from Barton as possible, since it appears he caused the majority of it.”

“Again,” Maria muttered quietly behind Phil.

A nearby agent heard her and snickered.

“Yes, sir,” Phil replied, fighting the urge to vomit, despite what she’d told Maria moments ago.

Fury turned to Maria. “Don’t you have someone’s soul to crush?”

“Yes, sir!” Maria replied, throwing a salute before striding off towards her office.

Fury turned to Sitwell. “My office, _now_.”

Sitwell nodded and moved off in the same direction as Maria.

Fury turned to Phil. “Something stopping you from heading to that meeting with Barton, Coulson?”

“No, sir,” Phil replied, and headed away from Sitwell, Fury, and Maria to a meeting eight months in the making.

 

 

 

He was in her office when she got there, leaning against her desk, and a tablet on the wood next to him. He looked up at the sound of the door opening, watching her walk in and shut it behind her. His eyes went first to her face, and then to her belly.

Phil couldn’t help but look him over too. She tried telling herself it was as a handler being concerned with their agent, but immediately dismissed that as a foolish idea.

As of today, it had been seven months and twenty-eight days since she had last seen him. He looked thinner than she remembered, and darker, his hair more golden than before. He was dressed like she always thought of him. All black, training gear, black Shield jacket keeping him warm against the chill of the building after months in an undisclosed desert.

He looked good, she thought. Solid.

She fought the urge to fidget under his gaze and took a deep breath. “Hi,” she said.

Clint smiled softly back at her. “Hi.”

“Am I really doing your debriefing?” Phil asked.

Clint shrugged. “I guess so? Fury looked like he was a bit angry at Sitwell earlier, so I don’t think he’ll be working on the team’s information for a while.”

Phil nodded. She noticed a framed picture in his hand, knew without looking it was of that first ultrasound. “Maria did it,” Phil said, nodding down to it. “Said I should start being ‘sentimental’, or something along those lines.”

Clint smiled at that. “I never took you guys for being so close,” he commented. “I always figured you were more ‘put up with each other for work purposes only’ type of people.” He turned away from her and put the picture back where she’d had it on her desk. 

Phil smiled softly as she thought of her friend and coworker. “She was there when I found out. And you’re right, we weren’t exactly close before, but she’s turned out to be a good friend through everything so far.”

Clint nodded. “I’m glad. It’s good that you had someone to be with you during everything.” He looked over to her, first at her face, and then down to her belly. He moved as if to reach for it, but stopped himself.

Phil smiled kindly, but fought against the anxious feeling in her gut. She put an “Agent Coulson” face on and said, “If I’m doing your debrief instead of Sitwell, then I’ll let you decide. Which horribly long, but necessary, talk do you want to have first?”

She didn’t think she needed to explain which talks she meant.

“Debrief,” Clint said. “Work comes first, remember?”

“Okay than,” Phil said, slightly relieved at his choice. She moved across the room to her desk, swiping his tablet before she sat down with a sigh. “Fair warning, you may have to help me up later. I have issues getting up lately.”

Clint chuckled. “Sure.”

Phil leaned back and rested her feet on a yoga ball Maria had given her as a joke, but that she actually found quite useful. She then grabbed a pen and a notepad to be at her elbow on the desk for notes, swiped at the tablet screen before setting it on her belly, and looked at Clint expectantly. “Let’s start with the mission parameters,” she said.

Clint nodded, and for the next several hours, Phil went through Clint’s op from start to finish. They discussed each extension, the team’s interactions, and finally, its explosive ending. Phil shook her head at that part.

“Was blowing up  _three_  building really necessary?” Phil asked.

“Technically,” Clint replied, “it was two. The third one only fell when the second one knocked into it.”

Phil found herself bursting into laughter at that response, causing Clint to smile at seeing her laugh. They sat like that until she got herself calmed down enough to ask, “And when I speak with the rest of the team, what will the official line be?”

Clint shrugged. “Probably something along those lines.” He grinned. “If you like, I can tell you about how we all almost mutinied against Sitwell after the first five months by drugging him and leaving him in a brothel.”

Phil snorted into more laughter, dropping her pen when she stopped to press hand to her belly with an “Oh!”

Clint was on his feet instantly.

“You okay?” he asked, concern in his voice as he made his way around the desk.

Phil waved a hand at him. “I’m fine,” she said. “Just a kick.” She poked a finger into her stomach. “ _Somebody_  likes to play krav maga on my stomach sometimes. I sense a black belt in their future.” She looked up at Clint, who stood to the side of her with a blank look. A look that she knew meant he didn’t know how to respond.

“Do you want to feel?” Phil asked. She held out a hand to Clint, fighting the butterflies in her stomach. This needed to happen, she knew. There were no more ops or work to hide behind.

Her mind let out a sigh of relief when he nodded and reached for her hand.

Phil took his palm lightly, relishing the feel of his callouses, indulging in a quick squeeze before guiding his palm to the side of her abdomen. Without any encouragement, he spread his palm wide, eyes focused only on her belly as he waited.

Feeling some movement in a different area, Phil placed her hand over his and moved it to the front of her abdomen, below her belly button, and held it there for several moments before Clint’s eyes widened.

“Holy shit,” he breathed.

Phil smiled, and Clint took a step closer, kneeling beside where she sat, and without prompting, placed another hand on her belly.

They stayed like that for a while, Clint with his hands on her belly, Phil watching for his reaction, her palm still on his. She smiled at the look of wonder on his face with every kick, every bit of movement. Eventually, she said, “I wanted to tell you. ” He didn’t answer, so she took a deep breath and continued. “I wanted to sit with you on the couch and say what was happening. Wanted to say that I was nervous and scared. How excited I was for when the kicking started. But the op kept getting extended, two months turned into three than six, and next thing I knew…” she couldn’t find a way to finish her sentence.

“We fubared the mission on purpose,” Clint said. He turned the hand that had Phil’s on it, twisting so he was holding her hand, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of her palm, along her bones. “We were tired of the op,” he continued. “Tired of being gone, tired of constantly being extended. The first time it happened, I just went with it, the second time I wanted to wrap it up and go home, fuck the consequences. But I also didn’t want to  _not_  finish. By the time we hit the seven month mark, we were just  _done_.  _I_ was done. I just wanted to come home, sleep in my bed, and see you.”

He looked up at her. “Now that I’m here, I wish we’d blown the op sooner.”

Phil smiled. “So what you’re saying is, you blew up a building so you could come home and see me?”

Clint smiled. “Technically, it was two buildings.”

Phil rolled her eyes. “My mistake.”

Clint laughed, and their moment was ruined by the rumble of Phil stomach. “Sorry,” she said. “The baby gets cranky if I don’t supply it with food twenty times a day.”

“Well, than,” Clint replied. “Don’t let me get in the way of their majesties sustenance. How’s about I buy you some dinner?”

“As long as we eat it at my apartment,” Phil said, swinging her legs off of the yoga ball. “Because at this point, my feet can’t take me standing much longer, and I can’t fall asleep on my couch like I used to.”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am,” Clint said, rising and grabbing her other hand to help her to her feet.

She stumbled a little as she stood, and Clint looked down to smile at her. “You look good, Coulson,” he said, steadying her. “Pregnancy suits you.”

Phil blushed. “You’re just saying that to be nice.”

Clint shook his head. “No, I mean it. You look good. You’ve always looked good to me, but now there’s just something…different than before.”

“It’s called thirty pounds,” Phil said.

“I’m trying to pay you a compliment here,” Clint said. He waved a hand in the air between them. “I know we’re about to leave, and have dinner, and then what will probably be a very long discussion about the baby you’re growing in there.” He patted her stomach, and she smiled at his already easy familiarity with the changes in her body. “But before we do that, I just want you to know that you look good, and you shouldn’t doubt that.”

Phil sighed, and leaned into his touch. “You’re really good at that,” she said.

Clint smiled. “I’m good at everything. Now let’s go find some food.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost done! I think maybe two more chapters after this.


	11. Conversations on the Couch (Again)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint and Phil talk.

“No Captain America decorations?” Clint asked, peering into Phil’s second bedroom that was painted a light, mint green and had floating dandelions painted on the walls and ceilings.

Phil looked up from where she sat on the couch, a plate of lo mein resting on her belly. “Maria says I’m not allowed to corrupt them with my obsessions so early.”

Clint laughed and headed back to the couch. “Maria hangs out a lot then?” he asked, lifting her feet up to sit down on the couch and then put them in his lap, thumbs rubbing in circles on the soles of her feet almost immediately. “Cause I heard some rumors…”

Phil rolled her eyes. “You were on base for six hours! Four of which were with me, and the other two were in medical or the lockers to shower, and  _that’s_  the rumor that gets through first?”

Clint shrugged. “Gotta make sure no one’s staking a claim on my territory.”

Phil raised an eyebrow, “I’m  _territory_?” she asked archly.

Clint grinned. “I put a child in you, you’re mine,” he said sweetly.

Phil threw a noodle at his head. “Ass,” she said.

Clint peeled the food off his face and ate it. “Seriously though,” he said after he swallowed. “Those are just rumors, right?”

Phil smiled. “Yes Clint, they’re rumors. Maria was there with me through everything these past few months. At first she started it as a joke to be funny, but after a while she just kept it going. Thought it would be useful to make everyone think I was in a situation that was far from the truth in case you didn’t want-”

She stopped.

“Didn’t want what?” Clint asked.

“Me,” Phil said. She rubbed a hand over her belly. “It. Us.”

She moved her plate of food off of her belly and sat up straighter, pulling her feet out of his lap. “I didn’t plan on this,” Phil started. “Never did. Up until I stood in that bathroom and stared at those tests, I hadn’t planned on anything beyond Shield. Not you, and definitely not this,” she gestured to her stomach.

“My plan, my life, has always Shield. I’m level seven, I’m highly respected, sought after for a lot of the most dangerous work our agency does, and on occasion, I get to save a lot of people’s lives. But then I kissed you, and fucked you, and next thing I know I’m breaking every rule I ever set for myself. I’m excited to see you for the first time every day. I kept track of your missions so I knew when you were going to be back. So I knew when I’d feel  _alive_  again. And then you left for that op and I took all those sticks and a woman I barely knew outside of being a coworker is sitting with me and helping me plan how to tell you I’m having your baby. And all I could think was, for all that we had our fun, and went together so well, I still didn’t know if you would want to be with me through this. And when I had to go to that doctors office and be asked if I wanted to keep this baby, I kept telling myself, over and over, that you’d be back in a couple months, and we could decide than. But then you weren’t, and when it came time to decide I realized I was going to go through with it.”

She took a breath, and Clint stayed silent as she continued. “But I also had to think of the possibility that I might have to do it alone. That you might not want to be a part of this. And that it’s okay, if you don’t, because you never signed up for this. You didn’t get the choice to think about it like I did.”

She looked at him kindly, and sadly. “We decided from the start that  _we_ , whatever we are, would be kept under wraps. I wasn’t going to blow that for you. I told Maria because she was there when I found out, realized what was happening. That whole Sitwell-slash-me and Maria thing did start a big joke to make me laugh, but after a while it turned into something to help hide what was going on in case it turned out you didn’t want this. We never talked about what we were doing past the next time we would see each other. I couldn’t assume anything on your-”

Phil was forced to stop talking as Clint had gotten up off the couch and leaned down to kiss her.

Not like the ones from before, that were hungry and filled with lust. It was soft, and slow, and made you stop what you were doing to just  _be_ in the moment.

Phil let herself sigh into it, her hand coming to rest on his cheek.

Clint broke the kiss, but stayed close, and Phil was looking up at him in confusion. “I want this,” Clint said. “I want you.” He knelt next to her and took the hand from his cheek and placed it on her belly, his palm over hers. “Both of you.”

Phil smiled at him softly, trying not to be hopeful. “You’ve only had half a day to think about this. This isn’t something you can change your mind on later on.”

“Why are you such a pessimist?” Clint asked.

“I’m not,” Phil said. “I’m a realist. I don’t want you to say yes now on half a day’s thought, and then regret it later.”

“But I won’t.” Clint said. He took her other hand in the one he had free, “You’re right this isn’t planned. And we never discussed too much of what we were doing past those ground rules. But I do know that I enjoyed being with you. And  _not_ ,” he began, when she moved to speak, “just for the sex. I’m mean, it’s pretty great sex, but if I didn’t enjoy spending time with you I would never have let us take it off base. Never would have gone to your apartment, held your hand, brought you coffee. Our lives just suck for dating, and so I was happy with what we had. I’m not going to give you a declaration of love, because I don’t think we’re anywhere near that. But what I will do is give you a promise that I’m not lying to you when I say I want you and this baby. I will admit that I have zero reference from my childhood on what a good parent is, but I do know what I _won’t_ do because of it. And that should hopefully be a good start.”

Phil smiled, tears leaking from her eyes. Clint raised a hand to wipe them away with his thumb, and she asked, “Why are you so good at that?”

Clint shrugged, his hand now cupping her cheek. “Beats me. You’d think I’d be talking more like Sitwell after suffering his ass for eight months.”

Phil choked out a laugh and reached her arms out to him. And he went to her, and the baby, happily.

 


	12. Talks with Maria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly what the chapter title says.

“You’re cheerful today,” Maria commented over lunch the next day. They were sitting in the bleachers of the training gym, food spread around them as they ate and watched the younger agents below.

Phil shrugged and got a familiar look on her face. “Just had a good night I guess.”

“Gross,” Maria said, making an exaggerated gagging noise.

“What?” Phil asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

“That’s your ‘thinking of sex with Barton’ face.”

“I do not have a face for that,” Phil protested.

“Yes you do!” Maria said. “You wore it that first time in the drug store, and a bunch of other times afterwards that I frankly don’t even want to think about.” She made a face of disgust.

Phil threw a raisin from her granola at Maria’s cleavage. “You’re an ass.”

“And you love me for it,” Maria said, digging in her bra for the raisin and popping it in her mouth. So you guys are good?”

“I think so,” Phil replied. “We talked it out. Went over everything. He’s coming to my next appointment and will sit in on the birthing plan discussion with the doctor.”

“You mean the one where you tell Shield medical you want all the drugs they can possibly give you?”

“That’s the one,” Phil said. She took another bite of sandwich. She cocked her head to the side and Maria followed her gaze to do the same as they watched the scene below them.

“YOU CALL THAT A PUNCH?” Clint yelled. “I’ve seen better hits from children!”

Phil smiled evilly. “Did I mention that Fury grounded Clint from field ops for six months and reassigned him to oversee training of all the new field agents? He figures he can help out and make himself useful as part of his punishment for fucking up Sitwell’s op.”

“Six months huh?”

Phil nodded. “Yup,” she said, and popped the p.

“How convenient,” Maria said.

“Isn’t it?” Phil asked. She took another bite of sandwich, an innocent look on her face.

“And how long is your maternity leave scheduled to be?”

Phil shrugged. “Three months out of the office, and an additional three to five on desk duty only afterwards. Fury and I are going to play it by ear.”

“What a coincidence that Clint’s grounded the entire time you’ll be on maternity leave.”

“Isn’t it?” Phil asked. “Gee, I wonder if Fury realized that?” she asked, the innocent look still on her face. “It’ll definitely be useful while we work out a routine for everything.”

“You’re all full of shit,” Maria said bluntly.

Phil laughed and they turned back to watch training in time for Clint to yell, “DO I HAVE TO GET A GUN TO MAKE YOU MOVE FASTER?”

They ate in companionable silence for a while, each swapping out one of their foods for the others on occasion. Below them, Clint put the wrath of god into the training group and made them wish for the days Phil let May kick their asses.

“But you guys are happy?” Maria asked.

“Yeah,” Phil said, rubbing her belly fondly, a small smile on her face as she watched Clint below. He happened to turn towards them at that moment, and winked at her. “I think we are.”

Maria smiled. “Good.”

 

 

Later, Phil was in a meeting with Fury over some ops Sitwell was taking over when Maria approached Clint on the training floor.

He smiled at her. “Agent Hill,” he acknowledged.

“Agent Barton,” Maria said curtly.

Around them, the training group that consisted of Tomlinson’s class and some newer recruits ran hand to hand drills around them. Maria jerked her head at them and Clint nodded. “Laps!” he yelled.

“How many?” Tomlinson asked while everyone else immediately began running the length of the rather large gym.

Clint smirked. “I don’t know, but once I do, I’ll make sure you do at least ten more.”

“But-”

“Move!” Maria snapped, and the agent bolted after his group.

Clint and Maria watched them for a while, side by side. She noted some recruits going all out despite not knowing how long they’d be running for, and made a metal note to look them up later.  After a few moments, Maria turned as if to leave. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Clint, she said softly so only he could hear. “I know a lot of people and am owed a lot of favors. Fuck this up, and I will cut your testicles off with a switchblade, feed them to my dog, and let May and Fury have you. In that order. Clear?”

Clint nodded.

Maria patted him on the shoulder. “Good talk,” she said, and whistled as she walked away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll notice I've updated the chapter count. After this there's just the epilogue. That one may take a bit, as I think I want to rewrite it. Shouldn't take too long though.
> 
> Thank you for all the comments and Kudos!


	13. A brief conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end...sort of

Years later, when Phil would tell the story of their first child, she would say that, like Phil, they had just been waiting for Clint to come home. Deciding to be born exactly one month after he returned, they were a little early. But they were healthy, beautiful, and everything they could have wanted.

  
“Gotta say Phil,” Maria said during a visit to Phil’s apartment two weeks after the baby was born, “you guys made a cute kid.”

  
“Thank you,” Phil replied, watching her friend sway back and forth with a wrapped bundle in her arms. Clint had picked it out, a cream blanket with dancing elephants. “We like to think so.”

  
“Speaking of your ‘we',” Maria began. “I can’t help but notice the other new occupant in your apartment.” She gave Phil a knowing look as she gestured at the room around them. Hand held out at an awkward angle underneath the baby.

  
Phil shrugged. “It’s easier this way. At least until I'm used to things. Clint still has his room on base.”

  
“Uh huh,” Maria said, eyeing the littering of Clint’s belongings around Phil’s apartment that had accumulated. Coffee mugs, a locked bow case, a book on the nightstand. A coat on the hook by the door and a pair of boots under it.

  
She suspected they would soon be a part of the apartment permanently.

  
“Speaking of base and hq,” Maria said, changing the subject. “Donavan told people they could have their money back on the pool since you’re not telling who your baby daddy is, and medical’s not telling either, obviously. But he also says that if they back out, they can’t try and get their bets back in if you let it slip later on.”

  
Phil rolled her eyes, but smiled. “What’re they saying to that?”

  
Maria shrugged and smiled when the baby gurgled. “Most are leaving their money in and waiting on the long haul for the reveal. It’s now recorded as the largest betting pool in Shield history. They all expect you to slip at some point."

  
Phil snorted. “That's extremely unlikely. Do you have any idea the enemies Clint has?"

Maria opened her mouth to reply and Phil held a hand up. "Don't answer that."

Maria closed her mouth and put her attention back on the baby as they waved a hand at her. Phil watched Maria for a few moments before saying curiously, "I wonder what yours will be like someday?”

  
Maria laughed dismissively. “Uh…no. If there is one person who should never have a child, it’s me.”

  
“I dunno,” Phil said, smiling fondly at her friend and her new baby. “You look pretty good there.”

  
Maria made a face. “Don’t make me refuse to hold this baby ever again.”

  
“Uh huh,” Phil said. “Don’t lie. I know you love her.” She took a sip of the tea she'd been having before Maria came over. “Who knows? Maybe someday, you’ll meet the right guy. And if that happens, I'll remind you of this exact conversation.”

  
Maria rolled her eyes, and Phil laughed. But years later, after Maria had cried on her bathroom floor and Phil had drunk an entire bottle of wine, she did just that.

  
But that's another story.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done! 
> 
> I hope you all liked it.
> 
> I must admit this came out a bit sillier than I intended. I meant it to be a smutty/touchy feely story of nothing but Clint and Phil, but than Maria got put in and it got away from me.
> 
> I do intend to write a touchy feely story at some point. Maybe as a future one shot. Because, as I wrote this, ideas for things that just didn't fit into this massive thing came to mind, so there will be some future stories added on. Nowhere near as long though .
> 
> And again, thanks for the comments and kudos! They are super appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> As stated in the summary, there's going to be a fair bit of sex in this story. Which, I've never written. So, this should be interesting.  
> Also, this whole story was already written as one big one shot, but I opted to do it in chapters instead. I'll be shooting for one a day (or maybe every other), no idea how many chapters I will break it into.


End file.
